A Second Chance
by kclupin1976
Summary: After taking a potion to end their lives and leave a world of misery, Harry and Draco end up going back in time to the day before they met.
1. Chapter 1

The final two surviving members of the light were lying in a tiny cabin protected by the Fidelius Charm. The magical word had descended into madness after Dumbledore's death. Voldemort and the Death Eaters had taken over the Ministry of Magic shortly after. Within a year Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade, and even Hogwarts herself had been taken over. There were very few places left safe to muggleborns and enemies of Voldemort. Within 5 years of Dumbledore's death, Voldemort had complete control of even the muggle world. The two that were left knew it was only a matter of time before they too joined their loves ones on, as Dumbledore called it, "the next great adventure." They risked their lives every time they left the cabin to look for food. They had decided if they were going to die then they were not going to let Voldemort get the satisfaction of being the one that killed them. Two boys were all that was left of the light. One with inky black hair and emerald green eyes, a thorn in the Dark Lord's side since birth. The other fair-haired with expressive gray eyes could have been one of the Dark Lord's most trusted followers. He had however chosen to turn his back on the Dark Lord after watching the Dark Lord torture his mother until there was nothing left. They both knew that if they were captured they would be brought before Voldemort. They had escaped his wrath too many times not to be. They also knew that it would not be a quick painless death. Voldemort would likely torture them for days if not weeks before he finally ended it. That was not an outcome that either of them could live with.

Therefore, during their outings to find food they managed to gather ingredients for a potion. The blond boy was certain he could brew it. He had found it in one of the books at his family's home before his mother had died. Even then, he had wanted to make sure he had a way out. He had no desire to serve the Dark Lord but he was also not about to leave his mother. He needed a backup plan. He had carried the page with the directions and ingredients on him ever since. This was their way out. The potion would give them the quick painless death they were looking for. It would take 5 minutes to end it after ingestion.

The boys had laid down on the bed in the cabin right after swallowing the potion. They were facing each other as neither wanted to die alone. They were also holding hands. They could both feel themselves getting sleepy which was just how they were supposed to feel. Each boy was thinking of the first time they met each other and how different things may have been had they become friends then instead of when it was too late to matter. With their last bit of consciousness, the boys said goodbye.

"Goodbye Harry," came from the blond boy.

"Bye Draco, see you on the other side," came from the black haired boy.

Each other's faces were the last thing they saw.


	2. Chapter 2

Harry woke up with smile on his face. He knew he was no longer in the tiny cabin with Draco. He could hear the sea. _It worked Draco_, he thought. He opened his eyes, sat up, and saw the last person he was expecting to see. "Dudley," he whispered. Harry was stunned. Not only was he looking at Dudley but he was also looking at an 11-year-old Dudley. Dudley's watch said it was 11:50. Harry was extremely confused. How was it possible that he was sitting in the hut his uncle brought him to after all the Hogwarts letters had come? How was it that he was 11 years old? He was supposed to be dead. Was this part of the trip? Somehow, he did not think so. 5 minutes until his birthday. Was Draco going through this too? Was Draco sitting in his bed wondering to himself how he had gotten here? Was he thinking about Harry and wondering if Harry was here too? Before Harry had a moment more to think about it, there was a large boom.

_Hagrid_, Harry thought. How could he forget that today was the day he met Hagrid. Last time he had seen Hagrid was two days before he was murdered during the Hogwarts take over. He had been torn apart by Voldemort's giants. Just like last time Uncle Vernon came into the room, holding a rifle and threating Hagrid and just like last time it did nothing to faze Hagrid. He came in and Harry kept the conversation more or less the same. He even made sure Dudley got his tail. Dudley had to grow up some before he and Harry would get anywhere. He knew that someday he and Dudley could get along. He just hoped that this time it would not take Umbridge's dementors to get Dudley there. He also knew that Dudley was a wizard. His Aunt Petunia had Dudley's letter.

As he lay under Hagrid's coat, he realized that he had to find some way to get Dudley to Hogwarts with him. Dudley needed to be able to defend himself. Harry knew if Voldemort came back that he would go after Harry's family. He needed to at least give them a chance. He also realized he would see Draco tomorrow. They would meet in Madam Malkin's. It was there that he would try and find out if Draco remembered what was to come too. If he did, they could figure out what they were going to do together. His meeting tomorrow with Draco was his last thought as he drifted off to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

When Draco woke up it was also 11:50. He was very disoriented at first. The room he was in was completely dark but seemed familiar. He also could not find his wand. At the same time Hagrid was bursting into the hut with Harry, Draco was finding the door to the room. He opened it slowly. He had no idea where he was and felt vulnerable without his wand. As he peeked out the door, he relaxed slightly. At least he knew where he was. He shut the door quietly and leaned against it. He was in Malfoy Manor in his childhood bedroom. He made his way slowly to his window where he opened the curtain to let in some moonlight. It was then that he noticed himself in the mirror. He stared at himself for ages. He thought he was 10 or 11. How is this possible? Draco was confused. He was supposed to be dead. He and Harry were supposed to finally be with their loved ones. Yet here he was in Malfoy Manor. This is not where he would choose to spend his afterlife. This place held mostly bad memories for him. His mother's death was here, as was his father's. He did not care much about his father. His father never showed him any affection and was just as cold and nasty to his mother. He had no good memories of this place after the Dark Lord returned. Now that was a bad thought. If he was 11 again then did that mean that the Dark Lord was also still alive? Well if he was 11 again, he also had access to a house-elf.

"Dobby?" he called out, hoping that it would work.

"Master Draco called Dobby," replied the little elf. Draco had never been so happy to see Dobby in his life.

"Dobby what is today's date?"

"Today is being 31 July 1991."

"Thank you Dobby. You may go." The elf gave Draco a little bow and popped out of Draco's room. Well this was interesting. He was now sure that he was 11. Voldemort was most likely with Quirrell already. Today was also Harry's 11th birthday. He wondered if that had anything to do with why he came back to this date. Draco would have to find a way to contact Harry in the morning. He might be able to do this using Dobby. If Harry did not remember anything, then sending Dobby was safe and if he did, then sending Dobby would tell Harry that Draco remembered. Draco crawled in bed. He wished he had his wand but if memory served right, he would be getting it soon. His last thought before drifting off was if Harry did not remember then at least he would get a second chance at making a good first impression on Harry.


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning Harry woke up and thought about what had happened. He was sure now that this was not a dream or part of the afterlife. He really was 11 again. He knew he would see Draco today and if Draco remembered they would have to find a way to meet in secret, which would be difficult until school started. Harry had been given a second chance and he was not going to mess that up. He lay there thinking of the things he had to do in his head. The most important in his mind was getting Sirius out of Azkaban. Sirius did not deserve to be there and Harry could not stand the thought of leaving him there any longer than necessary.

He knew he had to get the horcruxes and that one of them, he had no hope of getting to without Sirius' help. It would also help to have Kreacher on their side. He could get the diadem once he got to school. He would have to come up with a plan to get the cup out of Bellatrix's vault and the ring from the Gaunt shack. He had no idea what protections were around the ring he just knew not to put it on. At least this time he knew where all the horcruxes were. Nagini was not a horcrux yet so he did not have to worry about her until after Voldemort was resurrected, assuming he was. The only one he was not sure about was the one he carried. Did he still have it? He did not have it when he "died". He would have to find a way to check for that.

Harry heard a tapping at the window and realized it was time to get moving. He was pretty silent for most of his trip to the Leaky Cauldron. Hagrid did not seem to find this suspicious at all, which was good for Harry because he was too preoccupied to try and maintain a conversation.

When they got to the Leaky Cauldron, Harry managed to be polite to Quirrell as was expected of him. When Hagrid brought him into Diagon Alley, he did not have to fake his look of awe. It had been years since he had seen the Alley like this. It was full of people who were carefree. No one was worried that they might be murdered. He saw several people he knew: Dean Thomas, Blaise Zabini, Cho Chang and the Patil twins. It was a shock to see them all alive again.

The trip to Gringotts was pretty much the same except this time he knew Hagrid had just picked up the Sorcerer's Stone. He wished there was a way he could destroy the thing right then and there. However, this year he knew would be different. He would never think it was Professor Snape going after the stone. He would not be going after it himself unless absolutely necessary. Hopefully, he would have Draco and Sirius to help him this time. He, Ron and Hermione did a great job last time but Sirius was an adult and if Draco remembered then he also had a huge edge over Hermione and Ron.

Just like before Hagrid went into the Leaky Cauldron to get a drink and sent him over to Madam Malkin's alone. This was it. He would find out if Draco remembered everything or not. When he walked in, Madam Malkin again rushed him in the back. Draco was once again standing on the stool being fitted for his robes. When Draco locked eyes with him, Harry knew he remembered. Draco recognized him. You could not tell it from his face. He had the Malfoy mask in place. Harry had learned years ago how to read Draco's eyes. He could also tell that Draco was trying to figure out a way to find out if Harry remembered him. He decided to introduce himself.

"Hello, I'm Harry _Evans,_" Harry said putting special emphasis on his last name. "Are you going to Hogwarts this year too?" Harry watched as Draco visible relaxed.

"Yes, I'm Draco Malfoy. It's nice to meet you Harry _Evans_."

Harry knew then that he was not alone and that Draco now knew he was not alone either. They could not exactly talk freely with Madam Malkin in the room but that chatted about Hogwarts just like last time. They mainly discussed the houses and courses. They did not want to get into anything too serious while they could be overheard. By the time Hagrid came back with ice cream cones he and Draco had agreed to keep in touch this summer. Harry was not sure if he could receive letters from Draco because of the wards but he would find a way to get in touch. Hedwig should at least be able to bring Harry's letters to Draco.

The rest of the day went much the same. He was thrilled when he got Hedwig. He had missed her more than he realized. Ollivander was just as creepy this time around, as he was last time. It also took just as long for Ollivander to decide to try out the holly and phoenix feather wand. Harry was relieved to have his wand back in his hand. He just could not wait to get to Hogwarts so he could practice using it. He needed to find out how much power he had brought back with him. Once again, Hagrid sent him home with no clue as to how to get on the platform but Harry was not worried. He also would not be asking the Dursley's for a ride either.

When he got home, he went straight up to his room and was surprised to find Dobby in his room waiting for him.

"Dobby?" Harry asked barley believing his eyes.

"Harry Potter knows of Dobby?" the little elf asked him.

"Yes, Dobby, I know of you. What are you doing here?"

"Master Draco sent me. He needs to speak to you." As he said this, the little elf seemed nervous. He opened his mouth to speak but Harry cut him off.

"I know that Draco's father was a follower of the Dark Lord. I know you are also about to warn me to not meeting with Draco. Am I right, Dobby?" Harry asked gently.

The little elf nodded his head. "Yes, Harry Potter that is what I was going to say."

"It is okay, Dobby. Draco and I are friends. Can you bring him here?"

"Yes, I will go get him now." The little elf bowed and left with a pop. A few seconds later and he popped back in with Draco. He and Harry stared at each other for what seemed like hours but in all likelihood was only a few minutes.

"How is it that we are here, Draco?" Harry asked breaking the silence.

"I do not know. We should not be. There is no reason the potion would have brought us back here. Even if I messed it up we still should not be back here."

Harry sat on his bed and motioned Draco to join him. After Draco had settled in, he turned to Draco and said, "So, what do we do now?"

"We defeat the Dark Lord before he has a chance to gain a strong hold," Draco replied.

"I've already thought about that. It should be easier this time, as we already know where the horcruxes are. That was more than I had last time."

"I agree," said Draco evenly. "But first I think we should get Sirius out of Azkaban, and then get my Mum out of Malfoy Manor and someplace safe. We also need to convince you're Aunt and Uncle to let Dudley go to Hogwarts."

"I had already thought about Sirius and Dudley. There is no way we are getting Sirius out of Azkaban without Pettigrew and I have no idea how to obtain him. As for Dudley, my Aunt Petunia will let him go if we can find a way to get her away from Vernon. Your Mum could always stay here with me. I know it's not much but it would get her away from your father and it is also the last place anyone would look for her," Harry stated. He sat back as Draco mulled things over in his head.

"I will do my best to convince my mother that I have a safe place for her to go right after she gets the cup out of my _dear Aunt Bella's _vault," Draco replied though the last part was said sarcastically. "You're right about not being able to get Sirius out of Azkaban without Pettigrew but I have an idea that may work. I think we should wait until after we free my mother. If we can get my mother in touch with Aunt Andromeda then the two of them might be able to get Sirius a trial. If we can get him a trial, I can use Dobby to get the rat and bring him to us. The Weasley's will just think that he ran off."

Harry agreed to the plan. It made sense to him that it would be easier to accomplish getting Sirius out of prison if they had adult help on their side. After Draco ordered Dobby not to tell anyone about this meeting and to obey Harry as he would himself, Draco left to plan a way to approach his mother.

As Harry lay on his bed that night, he thought about how different this day was the first time around. He felt that he and Draco had already changed things just by being friends. He closed his eyes and went off to sleep dreaming of a future where he was happy and loved.


	5. Chapter 5

When Draco got home, he had a quiet dinner alone, which was not unusual. He was glad for it though because it gave him time to reflect on what had been a very long and very tiring day.

When he had got up that morning, he had spoken with Dobby and explained that he wanted him to go to Harry's house and ask him if he would like to speak with Draco. He was not to be seen by anyone but Harry. He was not to mention Draco's name unless Harry seemed to recognize Dobby.

Draco had paced for hours waiting for Dobby to come back and tell him something, anything. He knew that by this point Harry should be in Dudley's spare room and not the cupboard. He would love to hex the Dursley's to pieces for the way they had treated Harry. He knew it was not Dudley's fault. Dudley did not know any better. He also knew it was not Petunia's fault. She was bloody terrified of her husband. She had told Harry, after Harry had managed to save her when death eaters attacked her home looking for him, that she realized shortly after Harry was left there as a baby just what a mistake she had made. After seeing the way Vernon had treated Harry, she knew she never should have married him. Harry was innocent. He had not done anything wrong other than be born to someone with magical blood.

She knew even though she was not a witch that it was possible Dudley could be a wizard. She knew if he was that Vernon would treat Dudley just the same. Therefore, when his Hogwarts letter had come, she replied that Dudley was not going to attend.

She did the best she could for Harry. She gave him extra food when she could get away with it. She convinced Vernon that if Harry was sick or injured then he needed to go to the doctors just in case someone checked up on him. When Vernon was in one of his moods, she did her best to deflect his anger onto her. She did all she could to protect Harry without risking her life or her child. Draco could not fault her for that.

While he paced he tried to figure out what he needed to do. He knew he had to get to his mother and himself away from his father. If they stayed, there was a good chance his mother would end up dead just like last time. It was not a risk he was willing to take.

He also needed to find a way to get Sirius out of prison. Even if Harry did not remember, it was one of his top priorities. Harry needed to be with someone who loved him, someone who would put Harry's needs before his own. He was not sure how they would accomplish this but maybe his mum could help them.

He would like to get Dudley to Hogwarts but that hinged on Harry remembering. There was no way he would be able to accomplish that without Harry's help.

Before he had time to ponder that more his father had strode in informing him that they were leaving to go to Diagon Alley and do his school shopping. He was honestly terrified. He could not be sure that this was the same day he had done his shopping last time.

He had walked around the Alley terrified the whole day. When he got to Madam Malkin's his eyes had never left the shop door. When Harry walked in his nerves had increased more if that was possible. He stood there nervously afraid to make the first move. He was so relieved when he heard Harry say his last name was Evans. This meant Harry knew and was trying to find out if Draco remembered. The meeting with Harry at his house had gone better than expected. They already had a small plan.

As Draco walked upstairs to his room, he thought about ways to get his mother to Harry's. He knew this was not going to be easy to accomplish. He would have to talk to his mum and see if she would even consider leaving. If he did figure out a way to get them out of here then she needed to be ready.

When he got to his room, he went straight to his desk to make a list of things they needed to do ideally before going to Hogwarts.

_1. Get Sirius out of Azkaban_

_2. get mother to Harry's_

_3. Convince Petunia to let Dudley go to Hogwarts_

_4. Contact Aunt Andromeda_

_5. Get cup out of Bella's vault_

_6. Figure out Hogwarts' houses_

Looking at his list Draco recognized just how difficult this was going to be in the month they had before school started. Sirius might have to wait until after they went to school. He was not sure just how much time it would take for his mother and Aunt Andromeda, if she agreed to help, to get Sirius a trial. He knew Harry would not like Sirius being there but there was not much they could do if they wanted him out and free.

He hid his list in the secret compartment of the trunk his parents had gotten him for school. Only people who knew the password could get into it. He had it last time around to protect letters and objects his father sent him. This time the password, instead of being mudblood, was Evans. He knew that no one except for Harry would be able to figure that password out.

The next day he had lunch with his mother. His father was out of town on business so it was a good time to have a private conversation.

"Mother," Draco started cautiously, "Why do you let father treat you the

way he does?"

His mother looked at him curiously, "That is between your father and me," she replied.

Draco shook his head. He knew it was going to be hard to talk to his mother. Why should his mother tell him anything? He was only 11. He tried again. "I don't think the way he treats you is right. He treats you like a possession. He yells at you and belittles you. I know you don't want to stay with him so why do you?"

He knew he was taking a chance asking her point blank like that. He knew he did not sound like an 11 year old. He certainly never would have sounded like that last time.

"You have changed my little Dragon," she responded. "I don't know what happened or when but you are not the same boy you were a few weeks ago. I can tell you are still my Draco though. What happened that made you change?"

Draco was speechless. He knew he was different but he never expected anyone to notice. He had thought he was doing a good job. He had not prepared for this. He figured at school questions would be asked but he could answer them somewhat honestly. Harry had changed him. His friendship with Harry and the fact that he was hoping to not be in Slytherin this time around would take care of any personality differences.

"You're right mother. I have changed. I cannot explain why right now. If certain people were to find out…" He cut off knowing he did not have to say more for his mother to know which people he was talking about.

"I understand Dragon. I stay with your father to protect you. I do not want you to grow to be like him. I do not want you making the same mistakes he did," his mother said, a tear slipping down her cheek.

Draco took her hand. "If I can get us out of here and someplace safe without father knowing would you go?"

"Of course darling but it is impossible. He would find us and he would make me pay for taking you from him." His mother was openly weeping at this point.

"I promise you I have a safe place for us to go. I just have to figure out a way to get us there. Before we go, there is something I need you to do. I need you to go into Aunt Bella's vault and get Hufflepuff's cup. It is very important. Do not let anyone see what you are taking. This is a life or death matter. Can you do this for me, mother?" Draco asked.

"I can. I will be ready to leave at a moment's notice. I trust you. I love you my Dragon."

Draco hugged his mother. "I love you too."

It took him two days to figure out a way to get them to Harry's with no way for his father to track them. He was not sure why it had taken him so long to figure it out. It was simple. He summoned Dobby to his room. He then asked Dobby if it was possible for Draco to free him. When he answered that it was, Draco was quick to assure him that he still wanted Dobby as a house-elf. He just wanted him as his own personal house-elf. He also wanted to pay Dobby. He did not like treating Dobby like a slave. Last time Dobby had given his life to protect Harry.

It took a chat with Harry to assure Dobby that Draco was sincere. They agreed on two Galleons a week and one day off. He told Dobby to act like normal. He needed Lucius to think Dobby was still his elf. He told Dobby under no circumstance was he to punish himself unless he had to do so to fool Lucius.

Once Draco had got things straightened out with Dobby, he checked in with his mother. She was all packed and waiting for Draco to tell her it was time to leave. She was going to Gringotts tomorrow. Draco told her to give the cup to Dobby as soon as she got home. Dobby had already gotten the diary for him. Draco had hidden it in his trunk with his to-do list.

After his mother left for Gringotts Draco had Dobby, pop him over to Harry's. He informed Harry of his list. Harry agreed with most of it. His only contention was that Draco did not want to be in Slytherin.

"I just don't understand Dray. You bleed Slytherin green and silver. You loved being in Slytherin. How are we going to convince the other Slytherins not to join Voldemort if you aren't there to guide them?" Harry said shaking his head.

"Easy, they will come because they have options. I am already friends with Blaise, Pansy, Vince and Greg. If the Slytherins see there is a way for them to not follow the Dark Lord they will take it. I will always be a Slytherin deep down but it will only hinder our plans if others know I am. I believe that the easiest way for us to accomplish our goals would to be in the same house. We both know you cannot be in Slytherin. Too many people would worry that it would be sign you were going to become the next Dark Lord. Especially if they find out you can speak Parseltongue," Draco replied easily.

Harry seemed to think on this for a moment then nodded his head. "Okay, I can see where you are coming from. So does this mean you are going to be a Gryffindor?" Harry asked with a trace of disbelief.

Draco grinned. "Absolutely, I cannot wait to watch Weasley's head explode when he realizes he has to share a dorm with me for 7 years. In addition, I know the secret to the Sorting Hat. All I have to do it tell it I want to be in Gryffindor. You were the one that told me that. I personally believe my going to Gryffindor will be a bigger scandal then you going to Slytherin would be."

Harry laughed. "You are right. I really cannot wait to see the look on Ron's face. Maybe it will help your and Ron's relationship. I doubt you will ever be good friends but it'd be nice if you could at least be civil."

"I'll behave if he does," Draco replied. "Do you mind if I use Hedwig? I have a letter to send my Aunt Andromeda. I told her who I was and that I was nothing like my father. I asked her if she would be willing to meet me somewhere for a discussion. I'm hoping that by then I will have my mum here with you."

Harry gestured to his owl, "No problem. I'm sure Hedwig wouldn't mind stretching her wings."

Draco left shortly after that. He had just finished packing his things when Dobby came in holding the cup. He immediately put it in his trunk and asked Dobby to pop his things over to Harry's. Now that he had the cup, there was no reason for him and his mother to stay at the Manor any longer.

He went to his mother's room to get her and found a surprise. His father had come home early and apparently noticed that his mother was ready to leave. He was ranting at her, telling her she was stupid if she thought he would let her take his son from him, not that his son would ever be willing to go with her.

Draco watched as his father backhanded his mother. In all his life, he had never seen his father put his hands on his mother. Unfortunately, by his mother's reaction this had happened before. She did not seem surprised and did not cry out. Before Draco had even realized the thought was in his head, his wand was out and he had stunned Lucius.

Draco ran over to his mother, "Are you okay? He did not seriously hurt you did he?" His mother appeared to be all right, though she was going to have a nasty bruise. It was already forming on her cheek.

"I'll be fine Draco, do not worry about me. Right now we need to get out of here before he comes to," his mother replied in a shaky voice.

"Dobby," Draco called.

With a pop Dobby arrived. "Yes Master Draco, can Dobby do something for Master Draco or Mistress Cissy."

"It is time. Can you take my mother and me at the same time?"

"Yes Master Draco."

"Good. Bring us to the safe house then come back and get my mother's things, but only if it is safe. I do not want you to endanger yourself."

Dobby reached out his hands for Draco and Narcissa and with a pop; they were in Harry's bedroom facing a very startled Harry.


	6. Chapter 6

Harry had just woken up from a nap when Dobby popped in with Draco's things. Dobby had let him know that the cup and diary were secure in Draco's trunk. Harry figured that he had at least an hour before Draco and his mum showed up. He knew Draco would want to make sure that he and his mother had everything. There would be no way for them to go back once they cleared out. At least not until Voldemort and his Death Eaters were rounded up.

Draco would also have to explain to Narcissa that where they were going was in a muggle area meaning no one, not even Dobby could use magic. She was to believe that they were going to be staying with a friend of his. She would not know it was Harry until she got here.

Less than 20 minutes after Dobby had dropped off Draco's things, Dobby popped back in with an angry looking Draco and a shaken Narcissa. Harry was startled. He was not expecting them so soon. When he noticed that Draco's anger was covering his fear, he gave Draco a hug.  
"Dray what happened? I was not expecting the two of you for at least an hour. Are you okay? Why are you angry? Why did Dobby bring you both together?" Harry fired his questions off rapidly while checking Draco for any injuries.

"I'm fine Harry. Lucius came back earlier than I expected. I was heading into my mother's room to let her know that we would be leaving soon when I saw him yelling at her. He hit her Harry. I didn't know that he hit her," Draco replied his voice cracking on the last sentence.

Harry watched as a lone tear rolled down Draco's cheek. He knew that Draco was thinking about last time. That he was wondering if Lucius had hit her then too. That he was blaming himself for he now knew she only stayed to protect him.

Harry wrapped Draco back up in a hug. "It's okay Dray. You are safe now. You both are. We will make sure he never hurts your mum again. It is not your fault this time or last time. You did not know. You could not have known. We fixed it. We have changed things." Harry held Draco as he sobbed into his chest. Harry knew that tonight would be rough. There was a good chance that Draco would have a nightmare about the night his mother died. Harry knew Draco felt helpless about what had happened to his mum and that it would remind him of how he could not save her last time.

Harry guided them over to the bed. He sat there and rubbed calming circles on Draco's back. He whispered to him that it was not his fault and that it was different now over and over again until Draco had cried himself right to sleep. Harry tucked him in and looked at Narcissa who was standing there watching with wide eyes.

"Hello Mrs. Malfoy. I'm Harry Potter, a friend of your son," Harry said in a quiet voice. "I know this must be confusing but trust me when I say you are safe here."

Harry watched as Narcissa just nodded. She seemed to be at a loss for words. Harry noticed that she still seemed shaken and had a nasty bruise forming on her cheek. Harry told her to make herself comfortable and not to leave the room. He went downstairs to gather some ice, grateful that his relatives were out at the moment. He grabbed a glass of water and some pain medicine too and went back upstairs.

Narcissa had not moved. She was still looking at Draco with wide eyes. Harry moved in front of her holding out the glass.

"That is a nasty bruise you have forming and we can't use magic here. Here are a couple of muggle pills that should help with the pain and swelling. Just put them in your mouth and wash them down with some water. I also have some ice here that will help with the swelling."

Narcissa did as she was told. She had her focus on Harry now. Harry watched her relax when the pain meds kicked in.

"Thank you Mr. Potter. I feel much better now," Narcissa said finally addressing him.

"You're welcome Mrs. Malfoy and please call me Harry."

Narcissa nodded. "Only if you call me Narcissa. I don't want to hear that bastard's name," Narcissa said with a shudder.

"I can do that Narcissa. Now I am sure you have a lot of questions and I would be glad to answer them if you want me to. Of course, I would understand if you want to wait for Draco to wake up. After all, I am a complete stranger to you. I would like to reiterate we are in a muggle neighborhood. As far as I know except for a squib that lives up the street, I am the only magical person in the area. As such any magic usage will be attributed to me whether I am the one doing it or not. It is important that I am able to attend school. It is also important that no one knows that you and Draco are here. If too much magic was done here, I am sure it would catch someone's attention and then the jig would be up. Except for coming in and going out Dobby too cannot do magic. Do you understand?"

Narcissa nodded. "Good. Now the next thing you should know is that my Uncle hates anyone who has magic. My Aunt is in a situation similar to yours so you will not be surprised to know that she follows his lead. My cousin likely is not a threat but if he sees you, he will tell his father and there is no way that would end well. You need to stay in this room at all times unless I tell you the cost is clear or you leave with Dobby. Do you have any questions Narcissa?" Harry finally asked.

"Yes I have many questions. I have seen that way my son trusts you. He would not have brought me here if he did not trust you and for now that is good enough for me. How old are you?"

"I just turned 11."

"That may be your physical age just like my son but I know that is not the complete truth. I will ask again, how old are you?"

Harry was surprised. He had not expected Narcissa to ask him that question nor be forceful that 11 was not entirely truthful. He decided that since they were planning to tell Narcissa everything he should be truthful. He needed Narcissa to trust him.

"You're right physically I am 11. The answer you are looking for is 23. When I died I was 23."

Narcissa looked thoughtful. "What do you mean by died?"

"Your son and I were 23 when we took a potion to end our lives. Instead of working, it brought us back to the day before we met instead. We are not sure how or why. All we know is we are getting a second chance and we plan to fix some mistakes. One of which was getting you away from your jerk of a husband."

Harry watched as Narcissa took in the information. "Thank you for being honest with me Harry. I think I will wait for my son to wake to ask any more questions. Would it be alright if I too took a nap?" Narcissa asked looking exhausted.

"Of course. I will see what I can do about finding us some food while you two are asleep," Harry replied before leaving the room and calling Dobby.

When Harry got back from getting them some food, he noticed that what he guessed were Narcissa's things were in his room. Draco was awake and was watching his mother sleep.

Harry approached Draco, "Dray I got some food. Are you hungry?"

Draco focused his attention on Harry. "How did you get us food? Won't your relatives notice it is gone?"

"No because I didn't take it from them. I had Dobby help me get to a store and I bought it. Before you ask I had him bring me back to Gringotts a few days ago to change some of my galleons into muggle money."

Draco and Harry sat down to eat and Harry filled Draco in on what had happened while he was napping. "Your mother seemed to take the fact that we aren't 11 rather well. It was the only thing she really asked me about. She said she would wait for you to get up before asking anymore questions."

Harry and Draco finished the rest of their meal in silence. Then they organized Draco's things as best they could. They needed to make sure nothing seemed odd if Vernon or Dudley happened to look in on things. Harry was pretty sure they would be fine. His family had avoided him for the rest of the summer because of Dudley's tail. They did not know yet that he couldn't do magic outside of school.

They were chatting about nothing of great importance when Petunia arrived home. They listened for a few minutes to see if Dudley or Vernon was with her. They weren't.

Harry looked at Draco, "I'm going to go and try and talk with her. You should get your mum up and get her to eat. Hopefully things will go well and I'll be back soon and we can have a discussion with your mum."

Draco nodded. "Okay, but be careful down there. Remember that she is not the same person she was the last time you talked to her."

Harry went downstairs and into the kitchen where Petunia was putting groceries away. "Aunt Petunia," Harry started in a polite tone of voice, "May I speak with you for a moment?"

Harry watched as Petunia looked at him suspiciously. Harry did his best to look innocent. This was important.

"What is it?" Aunt Petunia finally replied in a hard voice.

"I just wanted to thank you for everything you have done for me. I don't just mean the things people can see. I mean making sure I didn't starve, that I had proper medical treatment and doing your best to keep Vernon's anger from being taken out on me as best you could without raising suspicion."

His aunt look flabbergasted. He had never seen his aunt at a complete loss for words. If it weren't such a serious situation, it would be quite funny.

"I don't know what you are talking about. The only reason I make sure you are healthy and don't starve to death is because the other freaks might do something to my Dudley in retaliation."

"That's not true Aunt Petunia. You do it because you loved my mother. You love me too even if you don't want to admit it. I know that Vernon is abusive to you. I just want you to know that if you want to leave him I can help you. I can get you and Dudley away from here and make sure he never sees you again. I can protect you just as you have protected me all these years. You can give Dudley what you always wanted. You can let him go to school with me. I'm not expecting you to answer me now but think about it."

Before his Aunt could get a word out Harry had turned around and went back upstairs to his room. When Harry got to his room, Draco was staring into space and Narcissa was just finishing eating. Harry went over and sat on the bed.

"What are you thinking about Dray?" Harry asked.

Draco looked at Harry, "Everything."

Harry understood. Anytime he had any down time since being back, he had trouble keeping his mind on simple things. He would think about everything that had happened, everything he and Draco needed to accomplish, and all the possible outcomes of the things they were changing. He would worry about who to trust and how much he would tell those he did trust. He was sure Draco was thinking about those same things.

Harry turned his attention to Narcissa. "Now that Draco is awake would you like to ask some more questions?"

"No, I do not want to ask any more questions," Narcissa replied in an even tone.

Harry and Draco exchanged a look. Harry was just as confused as Draco seemed to be. How could Narcissa not have any more questions?

Narcissa looked at them both in turn; giving them what Harry assumed was her stern mother look. "I am not going to ask any more questions because I would like the two of you to tell me what is going on and to start at the beginning. I trusted you Draco. I followed you here without question even though I knew something was different about you. And you, Harry, I trusted you even though I had never met you before and was scared out of my wits about being brought to your bedroom. I feel I deserve to know what is going on. I want you both to tell me right now," Narcissa said, her voice matching the stern look on her face.

Harry and Draco looked at each other and had a silent conversation. Harry just shrugged. Harry didn't know Narcissa well enough to decide if they should tell her or not. This decision would be up to Draco.

Draco sighed, "Alright mother. We will tell you everything. Just know that it is not pretty nor is it pleasant. We also don't know everything. We can only tell you what we do know."

For the next three hours, Harry and Draco told Narcissa the whole story starting with the day they met the first time round and ending with the moment Draco asked Narcissa to leave. They told her about all the death and destruction, all about the time they had spent being the only two left and how they had finally ended it only to end up back here. The only things they didn't mention were the horcruxes and any current plans.

By the end of the tale, they were exhausted but felt a bit better about not carrying the load alone any more. Narcissa looked horrified. She cried silent tears for both of them. At the end of the tale, she gave them both a hug. Harry had really needed that and was sure Draco had too. She then told them to get some sleep that they would talk more in the morning.

Harry gratefully slipped into bed. He was pretty sure he was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

Harry awoke suddenly and looked at his watch. It said it was 3:17. He looked around to see what woke him and saw that Draco and Narcissa were curled up in sleeping bags on the floor and that Draco was whimpering in his sleep. Harry got out of bed and went over to Draco.

Harry could hear Draco saying, "No please no not my mother. Please don't hurt her. I'll do anything."

Harry shook Draco. "Draco, wake up. Draco it's just a dream."

It took Harry a few minutes but Draco finally woke up. He looked at Harry with a fearful face, and then looked around for his mother breathing a sigh of relief. "It was just a dream," Draco mumbled to himself.

Harry made his way back over to his bed. He climbed in and got settled. He looked back over at Draco. Draco was sitting there glancing at Harry.

"Come on Dray," Harry said lifting up the covers. "You can sleep with me."

Draco got up off the floor and slid into bed next to Harry. Harry waited for him to get settled then grabbed Draco's hand.

"It will be okay Draco. Get some sleep."

Harry settled in and was once again quickly off to sleep.

The next morning, shortly after Harry had returned with breakfast, there was a knock on Harry's door. Harry looked panicked. He hadn't really thought about what to do if the Dursley's came knocking.

The knocking started again along with a soft, "Harry? Are you in there? I would like to talk about yesterday."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief. It was just Aunt Petunia. If she was bringing up yesterday then that meant Dudley and Vernon had already left.

Harry opened the door. "Good morning Aunt Petunia. If you just give me a minute I'd be happy to talk about yesterday."

"Okay Harry. I will wait for you in the kitchen."

Harry closed his door and looked at Draco and Narcissa. That had been a close one. "I'm going to go downstairs to talk to her. I'll be right back."

Harry went downstairs and sat at the kitchen table across from Petunia. He could tell Petunia was nervous. She kept looking around for something to clean.

"What can I do for you Aunt Petunia?" Harry asked.

"I thought about what you said yesterday," Petunia started off slowly. "I'm not sure how you knew all of that. Then again you've always been a very observant child just like your mother." A slow smile appeared on Petunia's face at the thought of Lily. "You were right about everything. I made a mistake marrying Vernon. I just wanted someone to care about me. I wanted someone who didn't love Lily. I was very jealous of her. Your mother was an amazing person Harry. We were close until I realized she had magic and I didn't. I worried that she would forget about me and leave me for a world I had no part in. I decided that it would hurt less if I left her first. Vernon helped me do that."

Harry waited as Petunia composed herself. He was pretty sure that Petunia hadn't meant to tell him all that.

"When Dudley's letter came I was so scared I was going to lose him to. I knew if Vernon found out that he would start to treat Dudley as he does you. He would also blame me for what Dudley is. It was safer to tell the school no."

Harry watched, as Petunia seemed to take stock of him. He could tell she was trying to gauge his reaction to what she was saying. Of course, after years spent with Draco, Harry had learned how to control what showed on his face.

"I know all that Aunt Petunia which is why I told you I could get you out of here and away from Vernon if you wanted. I can hide the both of you if that's what you want," Harry replied.

"I don't know what I want," Petunia whispered.

Harry sat back and thought for a moment. He felt like Petunia needed more reassurance that this was the right thing to do. He figured she was having trouble with this because of his age. He decided it would help if she could talk to an adult. Preferably, one who had been through some of the same things. Luckily, for him he happened to have just such an adult upstairs in his room.

"Stay here Aunt Petunia. I will be right back."

Harry went upstairs to talk to Narcissa. When he got to his room, he could tell they were surprised he was back so quick.

"I think my aunt is almost on board with leaving which will make things easier. However, I think her main concern is my age. I think it would help if you spoke with her Narcissa. I think hearing from another adult will help. It is important to Draco and I that Dudley goes to school with us and as long as they live with my uncle that will never happen."

"If you think it will help I will speak with her Harry," Narcissa responded.

Harry and Narcissa went back downstairs. His aunt was startled when Harry brought someone back in with him.

"Aunt Petunia this is Narcissa. Narcissa this is my Aunt Petunia. I would like you to talk to her. She is a friend of mine. I think she will be able to help you."

Harry went back upstairs and sat on his bed. He looked at Draco. "So while your mother is busy with my aunt I thought we could talk about what to do with Quirrell and the chamber."

"Well there isn't much we can do about Quirrell is there. The only way would be to tell Dumbledore about what happened and I don't think that is wise," Draco said as he settled in on the bed.

"I agree about not telling Dumbledore. I feel like the whole Quirrell thing was a set up to test me. I worry that if I tell him I know what is going on he will find a different way to test me. I do however feel there is someone at the school we can tell. I think we should tell Professor Snape. You always trusted him and after seeing his memories I trust him too. He is caught between Dumbledore and Riddle and I think he will help us to get out of that situation."

Draco was silent for moment. "I agree. We can probably trust Severus. Now the chamber is easy. We sneak down there after we free you dogfather and bring a rooster. We wake up the monster and slay it. Then we use its fangs to destroy the horcruxes. Problem solved. We already have the cup and diary. Sirius will get us the locket and we can grab the diadem while at school. That just leaves the ring."

"What about the one I carried? How are we supposed to tell if I still have it? I certainly don't want to risk dying again in case it is not there."

"That's easy. We will know by seeing you with Quirrell. If your scar hurts like it did last time the horcrux is there if not then we are home free."

"Oh. I hadn't thought of that. That makes a lot of sense Dray."

Draco smirked, "Well of course it does. I thought of it."

Before Harry could reply Hedwig flew in carrying what he hoped was Andromeda's response to Draco's letter. She wouldn't give them the letter though. It was addressed to Narcissa.

"I wonder why Hedwig has a letter for your mum." Harry said. "Maybe Andromeda wrote to her thinking it was a Malfoy owl."

"No that can't be because I told her that I was using a friend's owl so that my father wouldn't know I contacted her. I told her it was for her safety as much as mine and my mother's."

Before they could speculate further, Narcissa came back in.

"Harry dear your Aunt says she will leave whenever you are ready. I have Dobby packing some of her things. Nothing Vernon would notice missing. I told her not to worry about things that could be replaced, that we would take care of her."

Harry smiled. He was glad having Narcissa talk to his aunt had worked.

"Thank you Narcissa. It is a relief that she is coming with us."

As Harry said this, Hedwig flew over and gave Narcissa her letter. Narcissa took it and thanked Hedwig for waiting for a reply.

"Harry, I hoped you don't mind that I borrowed your owl."

"It is no problem, Narcissa. Feel free to use her whenever you want."

"Mother, who did you write to?" Draco asked.

"I wrote to Severus. I let him know that we were safe. I told him we couldn't tell him where we were but that I would let him know when I could. After what you boys told me I decided we could trust him."

Harry was just glad Narcissa hadn't told him where they were. Snape didn't like him yet. He still saw James instead of seeing Harry. He hoped that with Narcissa and Draco's help he would be able to win Snape over. He was not sure the man would ever like him but hopefully, he would be able to tolerate him enough to work together.

Other than the talk with Petunia and the letter from Snape, they had a quiet day. Most of it was spent with telling Narcissa some of the good things that happened to them. She got a big kick out of the Weasley twins. She wished she could see them pull a prank on Severus.

It was the next day when they got a letter from Andromeda. She had agreed to meet Draco in a muggle park in three days. Draco wished they could meet sooner but understood that for Andromeda to feel safe she needed to set the terms. He had agreed. He didn't mention that Harry would be going.

Harry wasn't about to let Draco go alone just in case it wasn't Andromeda who had answered. Harry had spent the next 3 days filling Narcissa in on anything and everything he knew about Sirius. She had agreed to help Harry get him a trial. She was also positive that Andromeda would help them. She shared stories with them of her, Sirius, Andromeda and Regulus as kids. She was very careful not to mention Bella.

Finally, the day came for them to go meet with Andromeda. Harry had agreed to let Draco wait for her alone. He would be nearby just in case. Once Draco was sure that she trusted him, he would tell her about Harry and invite him over.

They had been waiting about 30 minutes when Andromeda finally showed up. He watched her look around nervously. He couldn't blame her. Given what she knew about Lucius this could be a trap. He would be cautious if he were her too.

Harry observed as she walked over to Draco. He was too far away to hear what they were saying. He saw Draco relax more and more as they were talking. Finally, after about an hour Draco flagged him over.

Harry sat down at the table they were at and introduced himself.

"Hello Mrs. Tonks. I'm Harry Potter."

"Hello Harry. It is nice to meet you. My nephew here has explained your situation. I would like to help. I will owl Madam Bones in the morning to start the ball rolling. She is fair and I'm sure once she finds out Sirius went to prison without a trial she will work on fixing that. I will also see what I can do about finding you and Draco a safe place to stay. Cissy must love having to share a bedroom with you and Draco. He also told me that your aunt and nephew would be coming with you. I will do my best and let you know what I come up with."

"Thank you Mrs. Tonks. I appreciate your willingness to help me. I do have one question before you go. Do you happen to know a Remus Lupin?"

Andromeda nodded. "He was friends with you father and Sirius when they were in Hogwarts. Why do you ask?"

"I was wondering if maybe you could get in touch with him. As I am sure Draco told you, we have proof that Peter is still alive which casts doubt on what Sirius did. If you could please tell him that and tell him that I would like to see him I would greatly appreciate it."

"I can do that Harry. I will see you in a few days. Draco and I agreed to meet back here. It was nice meeting you Harry, Draco."

With that, Andromeda walked away. Draco and Harry went back to where Dobby dropped them off and got him to bring them back home. They filled in Narcissa when they got back. Narcissa decided to send an owl to Madam Bones the next morning too. She figured if both she and Andromeda wrote it would make a bigger splash.

Harry settled down on his bed. Now there was nothing to do but wait and see what happened.


	7. Chapter 7

That night after Draco had gotten as comfortable as one can in a sleeping bag on the floor, he thought about his meeting with his aunt. He really was surprised how well it went. He thought for sure it would take him much longer to convince her he was sincere. He thought that what convinced her was when she brought up Lucius. He had tried to keep his mask in place but could not. The rage he felt towards Lucius was written all over his face. That was when he told his aunt that he and his mother had left Lucius and were staying with a friend.

From there it was pretty much smooth sailing. He had told her that his mother and he were trying to get Sirius out of prison as they had proof Peter Pettigrew was alive and was the Potter's secret keeper. She asked how he could possibly prove that Sirius was not the Potter's secret keeper when even Dumbledore testified that he was. That was when he had informed her that Sirius never got a trial and that they switched without telling anyone.

She had seemed a little suspicious at this but he told her about Harry and pointed him out. She was surprised Harry was the friend he had been talking about. He proceeded to give her their cover story. They met in Diagon Alley while school shopping and struck up a friendship. When he and his mother decided to leave, he had talked to Harry about it in letters. When he found his mother after a fight with his father, they left immediately. She was in no state to take them anywhere so he went to the first place he could think of that was safe. When his mother finally came around, she decided they would stay since it was fine with Harry and was the last place Lucius would look for them. Andromeda roared with laughter when he told her that the three of them were sharing a bedroom because Harry's muggle relatives did not know they were there.

Overall, it had been a good conversation. He was surprised when Harry asked about Remus but then realized he should not have been. Of all the adults in his life, the only ones he loved more than Remus were Sirius and possibly Molly Weasley. Draco could foresee brewing the wolfsbane potion in his future. Severus had taught him in his 7th year. His mother was dead by that point and Sev was all he had left. He did not know which side Severus was on but trusted him with his life. His private time with Sev was the only good part of that year.

Of course, the worst part had been watching him die. He could not say he was shocked by the Dark Lord's actions. Riddle never did figure out that Draco was the master of the Elder wand. He had, however, been shocked by the appearance of the golden trio. He was most shocked by Sev giving Harry his memories. Sev had never been a fan of Harry but he was hoping to change that this time around. The three most important people in the world to him were Harry, his mother and Sev and he could not have two of them hating each other. If he could tolerate the weasel then Harry could tolerate Sev. The problem would be Sev. Maybe his mother could help him there.

He was very glad that Sev and his mum were corresponding. He was not sure what exactly they talked about though he knew part of it was Lucius. Lucius was not a happy camper. He had his friends out looking for the two of them and was convinced his mother had kidnapped him. He was not sure yet how he was going to deal with his father.

His mother also had a burgeoning friendship with Petunia. They would talk during the day when Dudley was out and Vernon was at work. He was relieved his mum had someone to talk to. Last time around, she did not have anyone. This time she had Sev and Petunia. She would also have Andromeda, Sirius and maybe even Remus. It made him feel better to know that he would not be the only one keeping an eye on his mother.

His mind then turned to his friends. He missed them. Vince and Pansy had died at the Battle of Hogwarts, Blaise had been slaughtered along with his entire family when they tried to stay neutral and Greg had died in the Dark Lord's service. He had not seen any of them in over 5 years. He wondered how they would feel about his new views. He figured that Blaise would be the most accepting. He was pretty sure that Blaise had the same opinions as he did now he just did not broadcast them. Greg and Vince would either want nothing to do with him because of their Dads or would follow him to hell and back. They were not very smart but they had been decent friends. It was a toss-up which way they would go. Now Pansy was completely unpredictable. He felt she had been a good friend to him when they were in school. He had even fancied himself in love with her for a time. However, she would do whatever it took to protect herself. He could see himself losing her friendship over this. That was all right with him if it meant he could potentially save her life. He would rather have his friends alive and hate him then dead.

The biggest wildcards for him would be Harry's friends. The weasel would never like him. The feeling was completely mutual.

He felt that he would get along fine with Granger. She would not remember what an ass he was last time and being muggleborn would not know about his family's history right off the bat. She would give him a chance and judge him on his actions.

Longbottom would be a harder sell. He would know Draco's reputation but would likely give him a chance.

He was uncertain about Lovegood's reaction. He was hoping by the time he met her it would be established what kind of person he was.

The hardest person would be the weaselette. He could never stand her. She had always looked at Harry as the boy who lived. It had pissed him off that she had gotten to be his friend and he did not. He had never bought in to Harry being special because of what happened in Godric's Hollow. He could see that Harry was special just for being Harry. He was smart without being a showoff, he was fiercely loyal to his friends, he was the best seeker Draco had ever seen and that included Krum, he gave everyone a chance and judged based on who you were not how much money, fame or power you had. He was friends with Hagrid and Remus. He truly did not care. All of that was what made him special, not that his mother died to protect him. He wished more people saw that.

Draco figured it would be a long year. They had so much to do and they had to do so without catching the attention of Riddle or Dumbledore. It was definitely not going to be easy.

The next morning Draco sat down with his mother while Harry was showering. He wanted an update from her.

"Mother have you heard anything more from Sev about _him_?" Draco was trying to avoid saying Lucius as every time he did he could tell it upset his mother.

"Not yet but I am sure I will. That man is not going to stop until he realizes you came of your own free will. Hopefully he will figure that out after you get to Hogwarts and are safe from him."

"If I could, I would send him a letter myself but he won't believe it until he actually hears it out of my mouth." Draco frowned. He really wished Lucius would just leave him alone. "Have you written your letter to Madam Bones yet?"

"I sent it off before you and Harry had even gotten out of bed. I also wrote a long letter to Andi. You said it went well with you so I am hoping it will go well for me too."

"I am sure it will. Aunt Andromeda seems like a forgiving person."

"I hope so Draco."

His mother stood and gave him hug before going downstairs to visit with Petunia. She had more freedom than Draco or Harry. Dudley had met her and thought she was a friend of Petunia's. She would leave when she was done with her visit and Dobby would bring her back upstairs. Draco envied her.

He and Harry went to a muggle park that day. It was a bit of a walk but was better than going to the one nearest Harry's house. It was best if they avoided Dudley. Harry had talked to Dudley a few times since Draco moved in. They were quick chats as Dudley was afraid of him. Dudley did seem to be listening though. Harry was trying to get him used to the idea of his father being a bad person. It was going better than expected. Draco felt that Dudley knew more about how Vernon treated Petunia than Harry thought he did. He had overheard a few of the chats and felt Dudley would be more responsive to going with them than Harry thought.

At the park, they let loose some steam. They acted as if they were completely 11 again. It was a nice way to relieve some stress. While they were eating lunch, Draco noticed a girl sitting by herself, leaning against a tree reading a book. Draco was slightly jealous. All he had to read was his schoolbooks and muggle books. He had read some of the muggle books Harry had access to but really wanted to read a book on potions. He envied her ability to read whatever she wanted. It was then that she looked up at him and frowned at catching him staring. Draco gasped.

"What is it Dray?" Harry asked looking around nervously.

Draco looked over to Harry and saw he also had his wand out. Before

Draco could say anything; he heard a female voice say, "Are you both wizards?"

Draco watched as Harry's eyes widened as he realized the same thing Draco already had. Draco jumped in before Harry messed things up.

"Yes we are. I am Draco and this is Harry. How did you know?"

"I saw Harry take his wand out. I did not realize there were other witches and wizards around here. I'm Hermione."

"It's nice to meet you Hermione," Draco replied. "We live about 40 minutes from here by foot. Are you going to Hogwarts?"

"Yes I am. I cannot wait. I have already started reading the books on our book list. I just cannot wait to start doing magic. Do either of you know any magic?"

"We both do. I cannot do any though because I am staying at Harry's. His aunt and uncle are muggles though his cousin is a wizard too. So there are 3 wizards nearby."

"Why do you live with your aunt and uncle?" Hermione asked finally addressing Harry directly.

"My parents died when I was a baby," Harry said with obvious emotion in his voice.

"I'm so sorry," Hermione replied.

Draco was relieved that she mistook the emotion in his voice as being about his parents and not about her. "Would you like to join us Hermione? Harry and I were just eating lunch and we have plenty if you are feeling hungry."

Hermione joined them and spent the rest of her time at the park with them. They talked about Hogwarts and magic. Harry had held it together pretty well. Once Harry had gotten over his initial shock, he had done his best to make friends with Hermione. Draco too had made friends with Hermione.

By the time Hermione left they had both agreed to write her. Draco felt much better about school now. Hermione had already befriended him. From what he remembered, from both his own experiences and what Harry had told him, he and Harry were Hermione's first friends. He knew now that by the time school started he would have Hermione on his side too. If they ever got out of the Dursley's they would have to have Hermione over.

When they got back to the house Dobby popped them upstairs and they filled his mother in on their encounter at the park. Harry had broken down during the retelling finally letting the emotions he hid from Hermione out. Draco watched as his mother held Harry as he cried. Draco felt they were a mixture of happy and sad tears. He knew Harry was happy to have one of his friends back.

After Harry fell asleep, his mother informed him that their disappearance was no longer secret. She had received a letter from Severus while they were gone. Lucius had spoken with the Daily Prophet. He had told them that he had been having a discussion with his wife when someone came up behind him and stunned him. That both Draco and Narcissa were gone and that he had not heard from either of them. He insinuated that Narcissa was distracting him so that her accomplice could take him out so they could kidnap Draco.

Draco hoped he could see the look on Lucius' face if he ever found out Narcissa's accomplice in his "kidnapping" was him. He knew though that this could complicate things. They would have to find a way to clear his mother's name.

Draco woke up the next morning before Harry and his mother. He sat down and wrote Blaise and Pansy identical notes letting them know he was fine and that his mother did not kidnap him. The two of them would be frantic. He was sure that Lucius had contacted them looking for him. He was equally sure that they tried to write him. Since he had not received anything he assumed the wards kept owls out. So far, except for the school owls only Hedwig had gotten through. He sent the notes off with Hedwig hoping this would placate them.

He and Harry went back to the park but did not run into Hermione. They still had a good time. He and Harry talked over how Harry was feeling. Harry was feeling better than yesterday. After some time to think, he even agreed that this was likely a good thing. Hermione would be less likely to feel like she had to show off her knowledge to get friends since she already had two.

The next day they heard back from Madam Bones. She found it very fishy that Sirius never received a trial. She would look into granting him one. She would like to meet with them at some point for two reasons: one to establish that Draco was not kidnapped and two to see the evidence they had for Sirius. They knew they would have to meet with her sooner rather than later but they hoped to put it off until they had Remus in their corner.

Both Draco and his mum had received letters from Andromeda. His mother's letter was much longer than his was. Hedwig must have waited until after Andromeda had gotten her letter from Madam Bones, for his letter mentioned it as a p.s. She would be at the park today from 2-3 if they had time to drop in.

It was 2:15 when he finished his letter. Draco and Harry went by themselves though they did invite Narcissa and Petunia.

When they got to the park, Andromeda gave them both a hug. "How have you boys been?"

"We've been good Aunt Andromeda. Mother is fine too," Draco replied.

"That is good to hear. I have given some thought to your living arrangements. I have talked to my husband, Ted, and you are more than welcome to come and stay with us should you need to. I do not think you should unless you absolutely have to. I feel like Lucius will eventually come looking for you and your mother at my house. He will most likely have aurors with him since he believes you to be kidnapped. I wouldn't be surprised if he already suspects me."

"That makes sense Mrs. Tonks. Moreover, if I were there it would just add to the confusion. Thank you. I never would have thought about that. It is nice to know we do have someplace we can go to in a pinch," Harry responded.

"Now Harry, I have a letter here from Remus. I think he was surprised that you knew of him. He asked me to give you a letter rather than just showing up. I am sure he will meet with you. He probably just wants to be sure that you want to meet with him. Also the information I told him about Sirius sent him for a loop."

"I understand Mrs. Tonks. Thank you for giving this to me."

"I need to be going now boys. Give Cissy a hug for me."

They said goodbye to Andromeda and had Dobby pop them back home. When they got home, Narcissa was in tears. Luckily, they were happy tears. Andromeda had forgiven her. The next time they met up with her his mother would come with them. Draco watched as Harry put the letter from Remus in his trunk. Draco figured he would open it when he was ready. He sat down, wrote Hermione a short letter, and asked her if she wanted to meet at the park again tomorrow. He then sent it off with Hedwig before his mum could use her.

The rest of the night went rather peacefully. He heard back from Hermione rather quickly. She agreed to be at the park the next day. She also invited them to dinner at her parents' house. After discussing it with his mum, he and Harry accepted. They told her that they were looking forward to it. They both went to sleep that night excited for their plans tomorrow.


	8. Chapter 8

Harry waited until Draco and Narcissa were asleep before he pulled out Remus' letter. He turned it over in his hands. He was scared. Despite Andromeda's reassurances, he was worried Remus would not want to meet with him. Last time around it was not until Remus taught at the school that he made contact with Harry. If it was not for his dementor problem, he might not have even known Remus as anything more than one of his professors.

There was a part of Harry that wondered if the only reason he ever heard from Remus was because Sirius escaped from Azkaban. He was worried that if Remus did agree to meet with him it would be because of Sirius once again. He did not know what he would do if the only reason Remus wanted to meet with him was to find out what he knew about Sirius. He took a deep breath and with shaking hands opened the letter.

_Dear Harry,_

_To say I was surprised when Andromeda contacted me on your behalf would be an understatement. Granted, it was a pleasant surprise but nonetheless one I was not expecting. She told me that you would like to visit with me. That is perfectly fine with me. I would like a chance to get to know you. If you like, we can meet up somewhere or you may come to my residence. I would offer to come to you but I am not sure how receptive your relatives would be to my presence. I feel we have much to discuss. I am sure you would like to hear some stories about your parents. I would like to hear about your knowledge of Peter and Sirius, if you are willing to share it. Just send me an owl with a time and date and I will do my best to be available. I am looking forward to seeing you again._

_ Yours Truly,_

_ Remus Lupin_

Harry set the letter down feeling relieved. Remus wanted to see him. Granted he was curious about Sirius and Pettigrew but he still wanted to see Harry. He had to say he was looking forward to hearing stories about his parents.

Last time around, he did not spend as much time as he wanted learning about his parents. He was too busy fighting Voldemort, as were all the people he would have asked. Hell the two best sources for stories about his mum were not options at the time.

He only found out about his aunt's feeling during their last meeting. He was not sure she was still alive when he and Draco had taken that potion.

The other source was dead before he even knew that person was friends with his mother. If it was not for Professor Snape giving him his memories before he died he never would have known.

He planned on doing his best to get Professor Snape to like him enough to tell him about his mum. Professor Snape was one of the people he trusted most. Even if Professor Snape did not like him, he knew that Professor Snape would be doing his best to help him take down Riddle. He hoped that Draco would be able to help him win over Professor Snape.

Harry folded the letter back up and put it back into his trunk. He would reply to Remus in the morning after he had talked to Narcissa and Draco. He felt that going to Remus' would be best but he would not make that decision without their input.

He figured that Draco would be going with him. He hoped Narcissa would come too just in case things went wonky. The more time he spent with Narcissa, the more he respected and cared for her. Harry drifted off to sleep thinking about his meeting with Remus.

The next morning when Harry got up, he noticed that Narcissa had already left the room and that Draco was reading a letter. Harry guessed it was from Blaise or Pansy.

"Pansy or Blaise write you back Dray?"

"They both did." Draco held up the letters. Neither of them was short.

"How are they?"

"Mad, worried, relieved. Their emotions pretty much run the gambit. They are mad I didn't keep them in the loop, relieved that I'm okay and that my mum didn't kidnap me and worried about what Lucius will do when he finds out that I left of my own free will."

"That makes sense. That is pretty much what I would be feeling if I were them. Except I would demand you tell me where you were so I could kick your arse for not telling me in the first place," Harry replied with a smirk.

Draco laughed, "They both threatened me with that. I have a feeling I will be getting yelled at on the train. Have you read Remus' letter yet?"

"Yeah, I read it last night after you and your mum had gone to bed." Harry got up, dug the letter out of his trunk, and handed it to Draco. "I was worried that he wouldn't want to see me," Harry admitted.

"Well now you know you had nothing to worry about. Now we just have to figure out where we want to meet him."

"I thought about this last night. I think we should meet with him at his place. We can't meet anywhere in the magical world because you and your mum can't be seen."

"Me and my mum?" Draco interrupted. "Why would my mum be coming? It is going to be hard enough to explain my presence but if you add in my mum, it will be near impossible unless we tell him the truth. If he believes my mum has kidnapped me, he could believe she is trying to kidnap you too. He could run to Dumbledore. We don't need Dumbledore knowing I'm staying with you."

Harry sighed. "That is exactly why we need your mum there. If this goes badly I need her there. We do not want anyone to know how advanced we are in our magic or did you forget that you stunned Lucius? We are not even sure how much control we have over our magic. That stunner could have been a lucky shot. I will not risk hurting Remus by using magic on him. If he does try and go to Dumbledore we will just have to have Narcissa obliviate him."

Draco seemed to ponder this for a moment. "Okay I see your point. We should have my mum there with us. If we are contemplating using magic then I guess we cannot meet in the muggle world either. That leaves going to his house. Are you sure about this Harry? If we go there, we may not be able to escape. He may have already told Dumbledore. After all, how do you know Aunt Andromeda? Remus might be concerned that you are going to the magical world unsupervised."

"I trust Remus with my life. There are only three people besides him I trust that much, you, Sirius and Severus. He would not betray me. If you don't want to risk it then you don't have to come with me," Harry replied angrily.

"It's not that Harry. It is just remember how you reacted to seeing Hermione. I am worried for you Harry. I just needed to make sure you weren't rushing into the situation without thinking about it."

"I know Dray but trust me. I have thought about it. It will be fine. We will go visit Remus and get him onboard with our plan for Sirius. We will hear some stories about my parents and then come home. We will not tell him where we live or anything about the past. We will give him our cover story, which will explain how we know Andromeda. The only difference is we won't tell him you are still staying with me."

With that, Harry went downstairs to get some breakfast. He had a nice chat with Narcissa and Petunia and went back upstairs only to be stopped by Dudley. Harry was surprised. He had not realized Dudley was home. It was also the first time Dudley had stopped him.

"Is there something you needed?" Harry asked Dudley. After his fight with Draco, he really did not want to deal with Dudley.

"That lady downstairs, Miss Black, she's like you isn't she?" Dudley asked quietly.

Harry was floored. He had not expected Dudley to put the pieces together so quickly. However, for their safety he had to act as if Dudley was wrong.

"Not that I know of. What made you think she was like me?"

"I've heard her talking to my mum. She called my dad a muggle just like the huge man who gave you your letter. She keeps talking about us leaving. Is she going to help my mum leave my dad? He hurts her you know?" Dudley replied looking nervous.

Well this conversation was not going at all how Harry expected. Dudley was more observant than he gave him credit for. He was trying to think of a reply when Dudley started speaking again.

"He gets really mad when you do something freaky and he can't hurt you in case other freaks come looking for you," Dudley said his voice a whisper. "I don't think you are freaky. I think I have done those things too. I think I am like you too, Harry and I am scared. If my dad finds out, he might hurt my mum and blame her. Is Miss Black here to help us leave? Please Harry if you know something you have to tell me."

Dudley had tears rolling down his cheeks at this point. It had been years since Harry had seen Dudley really cry. He knew he could not keep it from him anymore.

"C'mon Dudley lets go to my room and talk."

Harry brought Dudley back to his room. Draco had opened his mouth, likely to apologize, but Harry stopped him.

"Dudley this is Draco Black, Miss Black's son; Draco this is my cousin Dudley."

Harry watched as Dudley wiped his face not comfortable with a stranger seeing him cry. Draco looked like he was at a loss for words.

"Dudley here has figured out your mum is a witch. He has also come to the correct conclusion that he is a wizard. He is hoping your mum is here to help him and Aunt Petunia get away for my uncle," Harry stated filling Draco in on why Dudley was in the room.

"I thought he might know," Draco replied. "I could tell with the way he was acting towards you and my mum that he might have some idea how his father treated his mother. I didn't realize he had figured out he was a wizard though."

"I'm right?" Dudley asked. "I am a wizard? Miss Black, I am right about her too?"

Harry walked over to Dudley and guided him over to the bed. Dudley was looking a little faint.

"Yeah Dud. It is all true. Draco's mum is going to help get us all out of here. Dray, why don't you go get your mum and my aunt. I think we are going to need to explain some things to Dudley."

Harry, Draco, Petunia and Narcissa spent the next hour and a half answering some of Dudley's questions. They explained that Narcissa was doing her best to find someplace safe they could go which is why she was visiting so much. They did not tell Dudley that Draco and Narcissa were staying there in case he told Vernon. Petunia gave Dudley his letter and reassured him that she still loved him and was happy he was a wizard.

By the end of the conversation, Dudley had felt much better about things especially when he found out that as soon as they left Narcissa would be able to remove his tail.

They would have talked longer but Harry and Draco needed to leave to go meet Hermione at the park. Harry had sent a quick reply off to Remus asking him if they could meet tomorrow for lunch at his house before they left.

When they got to the park, Hermione was already waiting for them. She had a list of questions for them that they patiently answered. Harry was glad he and Hermione were friends again. He had missed her. Her death had been hard on him. The only good thing about it was that it had been quick. She had been hit with a killing curse from behind as they were trying to escape Death Eaters. This was a few months after the Battle of Hogwarts.

It had been him, Hermione, Neville, George, and Draco. He had been separated from Ron at the battle. They had used the tent from the horcrux hunt to hide out in until they found the cabin where they did the Fidelius Charm. Harry was the secret keeper. Neville, George, Draco and Harry had lived in the cabin for years. Both Neville and George had been captured while out finding food. Harry was not sure what happened to them but knew it was probably not pleasant.

Harry shook himself out of his memories and enjoyed the day with Hermione. They went to Hermione's house for dinner where they were bombarded with more questions from her parents about the wizarding world. Harry could see that Hermione's parents were terrified of letting her go. They knew they needed to but it did not make it any easier. Draco and Harry did their best to answer the questions that Hermione's parents had.

After dinner, Hermione and her parents walked them back to the park where Narcissa was waiting for them.

Harry watched as Draco grabbed Hermione's hand and dragged her over to Narcissa.

"Hermione this is my mother Narcissa Black, mother this is my friend Hermione Granger."

"It's nice to meet you Hermione. Draco has told me so much about you."

"It's nice to meet you too Mrs. Black," Hermione reply a slight blush on her face.

"Oh please dear call me Cissy. Mrs. Black was my mother."

"Okay Cissy. I'd like to introduce you to my parents Emma and Dan Granger."

"It is nice to meet you Emma, Dan please call me Cissy," Narcissa replied before they could call her Mrs. Black or Narcissa.

Harry, Draco and Hermione played in the park for a bit as their parents talked. Harry was glad to see that the Granger's had hit it off with Narcissa. It would make Hermione visiting them much easier. He also felt Draco would be relieved that Narcissa was making more friends.

When they got home, Hedwig was waiting for them with a reply from Remus. He had said noon was fine and gave them his address and included floo instructions. He lived about a 20-minute drive from where they were now in a place called, Starlight Den.

The following morning everyone was up early getting ready for the drive to Remus'. Harry's aunt was going to drop the three of them off on her way to the market. They assured her they would be able to find their own way home.

The entire ride Harry was nervous. He just was not sure how Remus was going to react to Narcissa and Draco. He hoped that Remus would at least give them a chance to explain.

Harry, Draco and Narcissa waited until Petunia was out of sight before going to knock on the door. They were standing in front of a townhouse. Harry was not sure that Remus would live here given his furry little problem. He walked cautiously up to the door and knocked.

When Remus opened the door, Harry stared. He had thought he was prepared for this, seeing Remus again but he was not. He thought seeing Hermione again had helped but it had not. The moment he saw Remus again it was as if he stopped thinking. He was acting on complete instinct. He threw himself into Remus.

"Moony! I am so sorry Remus. I tried so hard. I did not mean for it to happen. I tried I really did. I did my best to be a good godfather. I really did but Teddy," Harry sobbed. His voice broke on Teddy and he could get no more words out.

Harry was not sure how long they stood in the doorway before Remus moved them over to the couch. He felt Remus wrap his arms around him and murmur soothing words. Harry cried taking comfort in Remus' smell, chocolate, parchment and woodsy. His smell triggered a memory from long ago. He felt safe and loved.

When Harry finally calmed down, he was embarrassed. He could not believe he had broken down in front of Remus. He had gone over and over it in his head. He was sure when he saw Remus it would be hard but nowhere near as hard as it was with Hermione. He had no clue he was going to see Hermione so there was no time to prepare. With Remus, he had been thinking about it ever since Andromeda agreed to meet with Draco. He was fine seeing Dudley, Aunt Petunia and Hagrid. He had held it together in Diagon Alley. He just could not hold it together with Remus. Suddenly a voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Does anyone want to explain to me what is going on? Why are you two with Harry? Who is Teddy? Harry, what are you sorry for? Whose godfather are you talking about?" Remus asked with a slight edge to his voice.

Harry looked over at Draco. He could tell just by the look in Draco's eyes that this was not good. He was going to have to tell Remus the truth. The whole truth.

"Well let's start with why Draco and Cissy are with me. They are my friends, Remus. I helped them get away from Lucius. When Draco went to see Andromeda, I went with him and asked about you. I figured the wards wouldn't let unknown owls in so I thought Andromeda could contact you for me as I wasn't sure you would believe it was me if I wrote you myself."

"How do you know about the wards?" Remus demanded. He was now looking suspiciously at the three of them and had his wand out.

"Listen to me Moony. I am Harry."

"I know that," Remus exclaimed. "You may be able to change your appearance but not your smell. Now why are you calling me Moony?"

"Because that is your name. Just like Sirius' is Padfoot, Pettigrew's is Wormtail and my Dad's was Prongs. I know you are a werewolf and that Dad, Siri and Pettigrew were illegal animagi."

"Why are you calling Black, Sirius and Peter, Pettigrew? Black betrayed your parents." Remus spat out Sirius' name.

"Remus I am doing all that because Sirius is innocent. Pettigrew changed into a rat and cut off his finger. I know this because Draco and I made a potion to end our lives and instead of killing us, it brought us back and gave us a second chance. I was 23 when I died. We lost the war, Voldemort won. Everyone I cared about was dead. Teddy was your son. I was his godfather and I could not protect him. That is why I was sorry. I was worried you hated me for it."

By this time, Harry was crying again. He noticed that Narcissa had a tear rolling down her cheek too while Draco seemed upset. Probably because Harry did not tell him how he felt about the whole Remus/Teddy situation.

"How about you ask Harry something he could only know if what he is saying is true?" Narcissa suggested.

"Okay what is the password?" Remus asked.

Harry gave a small smile. This was a question he could answer.

"The password to the Marauder's Map is 'I solemnly swear I am up to no good.' You should have seen the way the map insulted Professor Snape when I was in my third year. Luckily, you were there to save me from his wrath. Oh and you guys called him Snivellus when you were in school together. Mischief managed was the password to wipe the map clean. You used the Shrieking Shack as a place to transform and Sirius' family lives at 12 Grimmauld Place."

Harry looked up at Remus. He looked dumbfounded. His mouth was hanging open and he was staring at Harry with disbelief.

"Remus dear," Narcissa said politely, "please close your mouth, sit down and let the boys explain."

Narcissa's voice seemed to shock Remus into action. He did as she suggested and closed his mouth and sat down. He focused on Harry.

"How did you know that? I did not even say what the password was to. It was a trick question as there are two passwords and you knew both. You could not possibly know that. I know for a fact that the map is at Hogwarts meaning you have no way of knowing it exists. You have not been to Hogwarts yet. Dumbledore would have told me if you had been to Hogwarts for any reason."

"Moony, please listen to me," Harry begged. "I know this because I have been to Hogwarts. I have seen the map. I have talked with you and Padfoot. I have fought Voldemort. I have died. Please Remus you have to believe me."

Harry watched as Remus stared at each of them in turn. He seemed to be deep in thought. Harry hoped that Remus would believe him. He needed Remus. Finally, after what seemed like hours Remus nodded.

"I guess I have no choice but to believe you. Nothing else makes sense. There is no other way you could know about the map."

"Now is there anything you'd like to ask the boys?" Narcissa inquired.

"Is Sirius really innocent?" Remus asked quietly after a few moments of thought.

"Yes Remus. He convinced mum and dad to make Pettigrew secret keeper instead of him. It would be obvious for him to be secret keeper but who would suspect little Peter Pettigrew. Of course, what they did not know was that Wormtail was already a death eater. He still is. Last time he helped resurrect Voldemort," Harry said angrily.

"I have already contacted Madam Bones as has my sister, Andi, to get Sirius a trial," added Narcissa.

Harry smiled. "That's right Remus. Cissy and Andromeda are going to help us get Padfoot out of that filthy prison. Of course, Draco and I are going to help too. We are going to hand deliver Wormtail. That should help Siri's case."

"You know where Peter is?" Remus asked.

"Yes, we do," Draco informed Remus. "The little traitor is currently being a pet rat for a wizarding family. We need to grab him soon because if he hears that Sirius is getting a trial he may try to run. Our only problem is we have nowhere to keep him until we hand him over."

"That's simple," Remus answered. "He can stay here. The basement is heavily warded. All we have to do is add a ward so he cannot transform. We will have to figure out what to do during the full moon as I normally spend that night down there. I cannot be down there with him but we have some time to figure that out. If you give me a couple of days I can have everything ready for him."

Harry looked at Draco. "Well that solves one of our problems."

"Yes it does. Now to find a safe place to live and we will be all set."

"What is wrong with where you live now?" Remus asked.

Harry sighed. He really did not want to get into this. He trusted Remus but the more he knew the more danger he could potentially put Harry and Draco in.

"How are you at occlumency?" Draco questioned. "It's not that we don't trust you but"

Remus cut off Draco mid-sentence. "Being a werewolf means my mind cannot be penetrated by another. Not even Voldemort himself would be able to read my mind."

"In that case we need a new safer place to stay because Harry's uncle hates anyone with magic. My mother and I are staying in Harry's room with him. His cousin is a wizard though Harry's uncle does not know that. Harry's aunt and cousin would be coming with us too."

"Again I think I can help you. I'd offer to let you stay here but Dumbledore does visit occasionally and I'm guessing you don't want him to know anything since you haven't already contacted him."

"You'd be correct Remus. While we know that Dumbledore is firmly on the side of the light, he hasn't always had my best interests at heart," Harry replied.

"You will have to explain what you mean by that later Harry. Harry's family left him several properties. There is the house in Godric's Hollow, the family home, Crimson Hall and Flower Cottage where James and Lily stayed right after they left school. Unfortunately, none of these are good options, as Dumbledore knows of their existence. Godric's Hollow is still destroyed and James and Lily let him use the other two as safe houses during the first war. While none of them are in use now he may still have access to them. If you were to take access away, he would become suspicious as only Harry can do so.

"I think your best bet is Moonbeam Bungalow. It is a secret getaway that the Potter family has. James and Lily brought Sirius and I there once. Not even Peter knows it exists. It only has one bedroom but it is a nice size. The bedroom would be plenty big enough for your Aunt and Narcissa."

"That's all well and good," Narcissa interrupted, "but where will the boys sleep?"

"I was getting to that," Remus replied calmly. "It has a pretty spacious loft area that could hold the three of them. It might be a little cramped but it would be better than things are now. The property is already heavily warded. In addition, only a Potter can grant you access. I know where it is since James showed me. I can bring Harry and he can add you guys to the list."

Harry thought about this for a moment. Remus was right about things not being worse than they already were. It would be cramped but safe.

"What do you think Draco, Cissy?"

"I think it is our only option," Draco replied.

"Go with Remus and add us to the list Harry. The sooner we get away from your uncle the better," Narcissa stated.

Remus apparated them to the Bungalow. Harry had a quick look around. They had a nice sized kitchen and living area. The bedroom would work for Narcissa and Petunia. The bathroom was manageable. The loft would be perfect for Draco, Dudley and himself. Remus was right that it would be cramped but it was better than Privet Drive.

Remus showed him where the list was that contained the names of those allowed at the Bungalow. Remus could not touch it, as he was not a Potter. Harry got it down but before he could inspect it, he heard several pops.

Before Harry could even turn around, he heard several cries, "Master Harry you is here. Master Harry you came home. Can we be doing anything for you Master Harry?"

Harry turned around and saw four house elves standing there patiently waiting for instructing. They were each dressed much nicer than Dobby. Harry was surprised. He did not know he owned house elves.

"Hello. What are your names?" Harry asked kindly.

The one closest to him answered, "I is being Link. This is my mate Twinkle and our daughters Sunny and Pinky." He pointed at each elf in turn.

"It's nice to meet you," Harry replied. He was unsure what to do next as he had not expected to be gaining house elves.

"If I may make a suggestion Harry," Remus said, "Why don't you have the elves give this place a thorough cleaning and stock it with necessities. Then send them back to your other properties to keep them ready in case they need to be used."

"That is a good idea Remus. You heard Remus. Can you make this place livable for me and my family?"

"We can be doing that Master Harry. Are you sure you won't need us to stay and take care of Master Harry and his family?"

"Yes one of my family members has a house elf. He is more than capable of taking care of us. If I need you I will call you though." Harry could see that they did not seem happy that another elf would be taking care of him.

"I need you guys to keep Crimson Hall and Flower Cottage ready in case I need to use them. I would love to keep you all here but I really need you there," Harry said trying to soften the blow a little bit.

"If that's what Master Harry is needing than that is what we is doing," Link responded and with several pops, they were off.

Harry wondered to himself what had happened to Link and his family last time around. Did they just hang around the Potter properties waiting for Harry to show up? This time would be different. He would make sure they felt needed.

Harry turned his attention back to the parchment. The only names on it were his, Remus' and Siri's. It must know when a member of the Potter family dies. He had been expecting to see his parents' names and possibly his grandparents' names as well.

He got the quill that went with the parchment and added Dudley, Petunia, Narcissa and Draco. After thinking about it for a bit, he added Hermione and her parents, Andromeda and Professor Snape to the list. He felt it was likely that all these people would visit at one point or another. Remus was reading the list over his shoulder and Harry heard him gasp.

"Severus? Are you sure that is wise Harry? He and your father never really got along."

"I know that Remus but he is trustworthy. He is also Draco's godfather and one of the few people Narcissa trusts. She has been corresponding with him since she arrived at my house. He has been keeping her informed of Lucius' plans. Let's go back to your place and Draco and I will tell you the whole story."

When Harry and Remus returned, Harry filled Draco and Narcissa in on what had happened at the Bungalow. They agreed with his plans for the house elves. They felt that it would help Dumbledore from becoming suspicious if the elves were still maintaining Harry's other properties.

Harry and Draco then told Remus the whole story. The only things they left out were the horcruxes, their future plans and that Remus married Tonks. They were worried if they said something about Tonks; it could change Remus' future.

At the end of the tale, Remus assured Harry that he would not have hated him for what happened to Teddy. He would have known that Harry did his best. He felt that right now Harry was doing what he could to protect Teddy from his horrible future.

Before they left Draco asked Remus if he would purchase some things for them. It was a list of potions ingredients, several potions books, a couple of cauldrons and several books on occlumency.

Remus agreed to purchase the items and leave them at the Bungalow. They told Remus that they would be back in two days to go to the Bungalow so he could make sure Dumbledore could not surprise them. They went home that night feeling relieved that they had a plan and would soon be leaving the Dursley's.

The next morning Harry went downstairs and found Narcissa and Draco letting Dudley and Petunia know what the plan was for tomorrow. She told them to pack anything they needed but nothing too obvious in case Vernon noticed between the time he got home from work tonight until the time he left for work tomorrow.

Dobby had already brought what he could to the Bungalow. Most of Narcissa, Draco and Harry's things were already over there. They would be using Dobby and maybe Link to transport them to Remus'. From there Remus would apparate them one by one to the Bungalow. They would use the elves to bring them but one of the wards on the Bungalow prevented the elves from bringing anyone but Harry. If they used Link, Harry would likely have Link transport him there to save Remus a trip.

Once Harry, Draco and Narcissa were sure that Dudley and Petunia were comfortable with the plan they went about their day. Narcissa wrote a long letter to Professor Snape explaining that they would be moving soon and that she would be in touch. She also wrote Andromeda to let her know about the upcoming move and that as soon as they were settled Remus would bring her by for a visit.

Draco wrote to Pansy and Blaise letting them know he was still safe despite what they may read in the Daily Prophet or hear from Lucius. He also wrote to Professor Snape. His letter echoed his mother's and he stressed that he was doing his best to keep his mum safe with the help of a friend.

Draco had told Harry that he had been stressing to Professor Snape that he and his mum would not have been able to leave without Harry's help. Of course, he did not mention Harry by name but he was trying to convey just how important Harry was to their escape. He was hoping that by the time Professor Snape met Harry, he would have already seen a different side to James Potter's son.

Harry certainly hoped this would help Professor Snape get over the fact that his father was one of his childhood bullies. He felt if Professor Snape could look past his resemblance to his father then maybe he could see he was also Lily's son.

Harry was writing Hermione a letter telling her about the situation with his uncle though leaving out that Draco and Narcissa were staying with him. He told her that he, his aunt and his cousin were going to stay with Draco and Narcissa. He told her he hoped she would be able to come over soon as they would be able to show her some magic there.

It was just before bed that he sent Hedwig off with all of their letters. This way she could pick up any replies in the morning, as he told her to stay at Hermione's tonight, and then meet them at the Bungalow.

The next morning as soon as Vernon was off to work, Harry called Link and Twinkle and got them to help Dobby bring things over to the Bungalow. Narcissa was helping Petunia pack the rest of her things while he and Draco were helping Dudley. By lunchtime, they were done and the three elves had brought them to Remus'.

Petunia had left Vernon a note explaining that she was filling for divorce and that Dudley was a wizard. She told him that Dudley would be attending Hogwarts with Harry and that if he were wise he would go along with the divorce. She warned him if he made a fuss or tried to get custody of Dudley she would go to the magical authorities and tell them of how he treated Harry.

Harry felt that with that news and the news of Dudley being a wizard they would likely never hear from Vernon again. That made Harry very happy.

That had lunch at Remus', which gave Petunia and Dudley a chance to get to know him a bit. While the adults were chatting, the boys sat and read a book. Draco was reading one of the potion texts Remus' had gotten for him, Harry was reading the book on animagi that Remus' had picked up as a surprise and Dudley was reading their first year charms book.

When it was time to go Harry had Link bring him first so he could let the others in. Remus was going to bring Dudley first then Petunia, Draco and finally Narcissa. Harry waited until they were all there before opening the door and letting them in.

Harry was amazed. The Bungalow looked a lot different than it had the last time he was here. His elves had obviously been hard at work. The fine layer of dust was gone and it appeared that the elves had given everything a fresh coat of paint. He would bet that the fridge was full of food, that the bathroom was stocked with anything they would need and that beds had been place in the loft and bedroom. There was a fire going in the fireplace but what really shocked Harry was the painting above the fireplace.

Harry walked slowly over and at first could not believe his eyes. It was a painting of his parents. They were smiling at him and waving to Remus.

He stopped in front of the painting and cautiously said, "Mum? Dad?" He really could not believe he was looking at a painting of his parents. He wondered why no one told him about it last time around.

While Harry was staring at his parents Remus must have been coming over to look too because he was startled when he heard Remus's voice over his shoulder.

"I did not know there was a painting of them Harry. After your parents died I did not go back to any of their houses."

Harry just nodded his head. He felt he could stand there and stare at his parents for hours. Finally his parents spoke.

"Welcome home honey. It is so good to see you. You have gotten so big," his mother said.

"Yes Harry welcome home," said his father. "I am a little surprised you are as big as you are. Moony, where is Padfoot and why hasn't he brought Harry over before now?"

"What is the last thing you remember?" Remus asked carefully.

"Dying," they both replied in sad voices.

Harry was at a loss for words. He just did not know what to say to them. How could he tell them that Sirius was in Azkaban and that he had gone to the Dursley's? Apparently Remus could not bring himself to tell them that either as he stood there equally silent.

"Excuse me but I can answer that question," Draco said stepping forward. "Sirius is in Azkaban because he went after Pettigrew and Pettigrew shouted that Sirius had betrayed you before blowing the street up and killing innocent muggles. He transformed into a rat, cut off his finger and hid. Sirius was sent to Azkaban without a trial which my mother and my aunt are trying to fix."

His mother looked horrified and his father looked like he might be sick.

"May I ask who you are?" his father finally said.

"Of course I'm sorry. Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Draco Black, this is my mother Narcissa Black," Draco said pointing towards his mother. "The woman standing next to my mum is Lily's sister, Petunia and her son Dudley."

"Tuney?" Lily said her voice a whisper.

Petunia just nodded. She was standing there with tears streaming down her face. She seemed to be just as lost for words as Harry and Remus.

Harry watched as Draco filled his parents in on why they were there. At least the official story since Petunia and Dudley were in the room. After which Narcissa and Petunia went to her room while Draco and Dudley explored the loft leaving Remus and Harry alone with his parents.

It took Harry a few minutes but once he started to speak with his parents he could not stop. He barely noticed as Remus casted privacy spells so Petunia and Dudley would not be able to overhear what they were talking about. He told his parents the whole story from his earliest memory of being at his aunt and uncle's house to the moment before they stepped into the Bungalow today. He felt Remus tense when he heard about the horcruxes and their future plans but he did not care. He was getting a chance to talk to his parents and he was not about to leave anything out. By the time he had finished it was nighttime and everyone else was in bed.

"It will be alright Harry," his mother said after he had calmed down. "We will beat him this time. Remus and Sirius will help you. You will not be alone this time."

"Your mother is right Harry. Lean on Moony and Padfoot. Do not forget you have Narcissa and Draco too. We are also here and will help you as much as we can."

"Harry, you are right to trust Sev. I knew there was a good person in there. Bring him here and let me talk to him. I need to let him know I forgive him."

"As much as it pains me to admit, your mother is right about Snape. He will be a good ally to have," his father said with a grimace.

"Now you two need to get some sleep. Remus you will sleep here on the couch. I do not want you trying to apparate with how tired you are. Goodnight Harry. Both your father and I love you very much and we will still be here in the morning."

"Goodnight mum. Goodnight Dad. I love you too," Harry said with a tired smile. Remus gave him a hug before getting comfortable on the couch. Harry took one last look at his parents before heading up to bed.


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry this took so long to post. I had a bit of writer's block. The good news is I've already started working on the next chapter. **

Draco was up bright and early the next morning. The sun was barely up when he climbed out of bed. He immediately went to the shed out back. While Harry and Remus had been talking to the Potters, Draco had been out here making wolfsbane. During their thorough cleaning of the house, the elves had even cleaned the shed. It was not Draco's ideal potions lab but it would do until he got to Hogwarts.

It did not take him long to finish the potion. Now it had to simmer for 2 days and then it would be ready for Remus for the week before the full moon. It would make housing him easier since he could not stay in the basement once Pettigrew was there. He would have to ask Remus if he was ready for his old friend yet.  
When Draco went back inside Dobby popped in with breakfast for him. He was halfway through his breakfast when Petunia got up. She seemed surprised that he was eating. Before she could even sit down Dobby popped in with her breakfast.

"Enjoy your breakfast, Petunia," Draco said.

Petunia just stood there with a dumbfounded look on her face.

"It's okay Petunia. That was just my house elf Dobby. You will get used to him and magic." The night before everyone had eaten in their rooms. He was sure Petunia did not know Dobby had made dinner. She was likely too preoccupied with thoughts of Lily.

Petunia finally sat down and dug in. She and Draco ate their breakfast in silence. Just as Draco finished Hedwig flew in bringing letters. He had one from Pansy, Blaise and Sev, his mum had letters from Sev and his Aunt Andi and Harry had a letter from Hermione. Draco directed Hedwig to her perch and made sure to give her fresh water and some owl treats before settling down to read his letters.

_Dearest Draco,_

_I am so glad to hear that you are still safe. Your father is still hounding all of us for information. I have told him absolutely nothing. I have told him I have written you but received no response. He believes I fear for you as I worry about what your mother is capable of._

_As if, I would ever fear your mum. The beautiful owl you keep sending your letters with is very discrete. She never shows herself unless I am by myself so even my parents do not know I have heard from you._

_I wish I could see you before we leave for school but I understand that it will not be possible. I am just glad you are safe and I would not dream of compromising your safety. _

_Stay in touch and let me know that you remain safe. If I hear anything from your father how will I tell you, if you do not write me first. I will see you on September 1._

_Love,_

_Pansy_

Draco could not say he was surprised. Pansy always was a good liar. He still was not sure how she would feel about his new views. He would not be giving anything away when he wrote to her.

_Draco,_

_Have I told you lately that I hate your father because I really do. He seems convinced that one of us must have a clue to your whereabouts. He feels that you would trick your mum into letting you write your friends so you could get word to him so he could come rescue you from her clutches._

_I am so glad you and your mum left him Draco. He is a right bastard. I feel that this will be good for you in the long run. I will continue to keep you informed of any of Lucius' plans. I figure if your smart little owl doesn't show up then I will write to your godfather and he can pass the message on. _

_Be careful Dray. When your father finds out that you will not be siding with him, he is going to be pissed. _

_I will see you on the train,_

_Blaise_

Now that was more like it. He was positive he could trust Blaise. Maybe he could talk Harry and Remus into letting Blaise visit Starlight Den. He knew there was no way Harry would let Blaise come here until he had spent some time getting to know Blaise.

_Dear Draco,_

_I am pleased to hear that you and your mother are as safe as you can be given the circumstances. Your father is still on the warpath and will likely try something on September 1. _

_I feel that you should come up with a plan to prevent him from taking you from the train. Once at Hogwarts all you would have to do if he showed up is state that you do not wish to leave with him, that you are currently staying with your mother and that her consent is needed for you to leave the school._

_Please pass along my gratitude to your friend,_

_Severus_

Now that was a first. He had not gotten Sev to even mention Harry let alone thank him. It was a definite start. He knew that with Lily's help they might be able to get Sev to see Harry as more than James' son.

By the time he had written them all back, the rest of the house was awake. His mother told him that Andromeda had invited them over for dinner tonight and that she had accepted. She was going to bring Dudley too as she felt Petunia needed some alone time to talk to Lily.

She had also gotten Harry's approval to invite Severus over. He felt they would need to make sure that Petunia and Dudley had other plans that day, as it would be bad enough that he, Harry and his mum would be there to see Sev's reaction to Lily.

Harry's letter from Hermione stated that she had already asked her parents if she could go over at some point before school had started and they had said yes. They had wasted no time in getting his mum to send a letter to the Grangers asking if Hermione could stay over for a few days.

When Remus came back over for lunch, Draco asked him if he was ready for Wormtail.

"Yes I am. I finished securing the place this morning. When would you like to get him?" Remus replied.

"Now seems as good a time as any. Dobby."

"Master Draco called Dobby?"

"Do you remember the rat we told you about?"

"Yes Master Draco. He is the bad man that hurt Harry Potter's parents," the elf said nodding his head.

"Well we are ready for you to retrieve him," Draco told him and before he could give him any reminders about not being seen or to be careful Dobby was gone.

"That could have gone better Dray," Harry stated. "You probably should have reminded him before you told him we were ready for him to pick up Pettigrew."

"I know. I forget how much he likes you."

When Dobby did not immediately pop back in they felt he must have remembered his warnings. The conversation then drifted to Dudley's school supplies.

"Any idea how we are going to get them Harry?" Draco asked.

"Obviously you, your mum and I can't go but I figured Remus could take them and maybe we could talk your aunt and Tonks into going too just to be safe."

"If you don't mind me asking how is mum going to buy me any of my school things when we don't have any money?" Dudley asked.

Draco watched as Harry left the room and came back with his money pouch, which he deposited in Dudley's lap.

"Easy Dudley. I will give you the money. I will not take no for an answer," Harry said before either Dudley or Petunia could object. "Right now you don't have any money as you left Uncle Vernon and you told him he could keep everything but what you brought with you and Dudley. That means until you can figure something out I will take care of you. I have plenty of money and it is what my mother would have wanted. Right mum?"

"Absolutely Harry," his mother replied.

"There is plenty there for your all of your first year needs plus an owl, cat or toad if you want one. I would like you to get some robes made up Aunt Petunia so that it is not obvious you are a muggle. There are people out there who would hurt you for that. I'm sure Cissy would let you borrow a set for the day of the trip."

"Of course I will Harry."

"Oh and while you are there I would like you to get an owl for Draco and Hermione. No objecting Dray. Right now, the two of you are just as broke as my aunt and Dudley. You guys are my family and I will take care of you."

Draco shook his head as Harry glared at him and Remus snickered. He knew there was no point in arguing. He decided that if Harry was going to be taking care of everyone then he could take care of Remus too since he found the situation so amusing.  
"Don't forget Moony, Harry. He could use some new robes too and I know you consider him part of the family," Draco said with a smirk.

"You're right Dray how could I forget. You heard him Moony. While you are out buy yourself some new robes. Dad would want you to. Right dad?"

"He's got you Moony. He is right. I am so proud of you right now Harry. You are doing exactly as I would have."

Before Remus could protest or attempt to put up any defense, Dobby popped back in.

"It is done Master Draco. When the boy went out to play with his siblings, he left the rat in his room. Dobby took the rat and put him in the basement of Starlight Den as Dobby was instructed. He begged Dobby to release him and he tried to change back several times."

"Good job Dobby."

"Thank you Master Draco." The little elf bowed and popped out of the room.

"When Hedwig gets back we will have to send a letter to Madam Bones so we can meet with her now that we have Wormtail secure," Remus said.

Hedwig returned shortly after lunch with a reply from the Grangers. They were hoping Narcissa would be willing to have Hermione over for the next 3 days as they are leaving for a dental conference tomorrow and Hermione really does not want to go. The letter stated that Hermione was already packed and they could come get her at their convenience.

"What do you think boys? Would you mind having Hermione over for a few days while her parents are away?" Narcissa asked.

"Not at all mother," Draco replied with a smile.

"Of course not Cissy. You know that if I could I would see Hermione every day," Harry answered excitedly.

With those two comments, his mother replied that they would be overjoyed to have Hermione over for a few days and would be over shortly before five to pick her up.

They sent Hedwig with Link so he could bring her closer to the Granger's while they had Dobby go to Andromeda's to see if she was all right with them bringing Hermione.

They decided that Remus, Narcissa and Draco would go to get Hermione. Draco could tell Harry wanted to go but they felt it would be better if he stayed with Petunia and Dudley. The only reason he and Remus were going was because Hermione did not really know his mum and had never met Remus so they felt having Draco there would put her at ease. Remus was going to apparate Draco back to Starlight Den while his mum brought Hermione. From there the elves would bring them back to Moonbeam Bungalow.

Link and Dobby brought them close to the park where Draco and Harry would normally meet Hermione. From there it was a short walk to Hermione's house.

When they arrived, Hermione immediately dragged Draco up to her room to be sure she had not forgotten anything she would need. Draco made her put some things back. She was only going for a few days plus she was trying to bring all her school books which as Draco pointed out was silly as he and Harry both had a set at the Bungalow.

Once Hermione was sure she had everything, Draco helped her bring her things downstairs. The Granger's gave her some spending money and told her to keep in touch and to behave.

All in all, it was a rather quick trip. Draco laughed when Hermione told him she did not like apparating. He told her that it was slightly different when you were the one doing the apparating and not just being taken along for the ride.

She was fascinated when she met Dobby and Link. She probably would have asked them tons of questions if Draco had let her. The moment they got back to the Bungalow the elves popped out off to take care of Harry's properties.

After Hermione had settled in and met Petunia, Dudley, and the Potters, everyone but Petunia got ready to go to dinner at the Tonks'.

Dinner turned out to be an interesting affair. Draco was relieved that Harry did not have any outbursts at meeting Tonks. He knew he felt some of them same guilt as with Remus with Tonks. However, Remus' forgiveness seemed to have the done the trick.

What was most shocking was when Tonks' boyfriend showed up. Draco was just as shocked as Harry was. It had never occurred to them that Tonks might have dated someone before Remus. Even more surprising was that Tonks' boyfriend was none other than Charlie Weasley.

Draco was again relieved that Harry held it together. It was his first interaction with a Weasley and Draco had been worried how Harry was going to do. It probably helped that he had not been close to Charlie last time around. Harry had only met Charlie a few times while Draco had never met him at all.

Other than that, they mostly caught up with each other or got to know one another. Draco found out that aurors had searched his Aunt's place looking for any sign of Draco or his mum. From what Tonks had heard, Lucius was mighty upset that the search had turned up nothing. He was getting extremely frustrated that Narcissa and Draco had disappeared without a trace.

After dinner, Andromeda wrote Madam Bones to let her know that they had Pettigrew and would like to set a time for Narcissa, Draco, Harry and herself to meet with her to discuss Sirius' options. Draco knew the meeting would be at Remus' as that was where Pettigrew was and he knew Harry would feel safer having Remus there.

When they got back home, Petunia was already in bed but Lily seemed happy so Draco assumed that their talk had gone well. Draco was glad for that, as hopefully it would help to keep Petunia's relationship with Harry strong.

Before they went to bed, Harry and Draco gave Hermione the book on occlumency. They figured that by the time she left here the whole thing would be read. As soon as they were sure she could occlude her mind, they planned to let her in on some things. Even at 11 Hermione was a talented witch. They knew she would be a big help to them in figuring out how to get the ring.

They all went to bed early as tomorrow was going to be a long day for most of them. Dudley and Petunia were going shopping for Dudley's school things. Andromeda and Tonks had agreed to go along too as an added precaution. When Hermione heard, she asked if she too could go, as she would like to get a few more books with her spending money. Remus was going to make sure Dudley, Petunia and Hermione got back safely. Draco figured tomorrow while everyone was out he would surprise Sev and bring him to reconnect with an old friend.

Draco was once again the first one out of bed the next morning. After he had checked on the wolfsbane, he had a quiet breakfast. He thought about what a busy day yesterday had been. Things went rather smoothly considering all they had done.

They were lucky Remus had been with them at his Aunt's house. He knew that Tonks had known about his and his mum's situation. Andromeda had told his mum she was going to explain things to her husband and daughter. Narcissa made her promise to leave Harry's involvement out of it. The less people that knew they were with Harry the better.

Charlie showing up was difficult but as Remus had been there, he and Tonks had assumed that Remus had brought Harry and that Harry only knew him and his mum slightly. If any of it got back to Dumbledore Remus might be in trouble but Dumbledore would have no clue of his friendship with Draco.

Lucius was another concern. Draco felt his father would be a thorn in his side. He knew his mum could not divorce Lucius right now, as she had no access to funds. She would also need Sirius to sign off on her returning to being a Black as he was the head of the house. Draco figured that would be easy enough from what Harry had told him about Sirius. The only problem being that he doubted Sirius would be able to do so before he had to go to school.

Draco knew he would have to figure out a way to keep out of his father's clutches until he arrived at Hogwarts. He would talk to Sev before school started about getting Dumbledore's help. Dumbledore may not be his favorite person but he would be helpful in this situation.

By that time, the house had started to stir and get ready for the day. It took a while being there was only one bathroom but they did save time since Dobby made breakfast.

Once Petunia, Dudley, Hermione and Remus had left, Draco sat down to talk to Harry.

"I was thinking today might be a good day to bring Sev over and let him speak with your mum."

Harry nodded though he looked grim. "You're probably right. Who knows when the Bungalow will be this empty again. I cannot say I am looking forward to meeting Professor Snape for a second time but now is a good time. Have you given any thought as to how you will get him?"

Draco smiled. "Of course. He should not be at Hogwarts yet so I figured I would have Dobby take me over to his house in Spinner's End. From there I will have Dobby bring us back to the boundary of your property where I will explain things to him. Once he understands I will have Dobby get you so you can let him in."

"Sounds like you've given this some thought. Be careful Dray. You know Lucius is looking for you and it could be dangerous."

"I've thought of that too. Lucius would never go to Sev's house; he would make Sev go to him. I am not even positive Lucius knows where Sev's place is. Moreover, I will not be defenseless. I will have Dobby and my wand. However I promise to be careful."

Once Draco had let his mother know of his plans, he got ready and had Dobby bring him to Sev's. He had Dobby drop him off in Sev's backyard. He went into the house calling for his godfather.

When Severus came into the room, he had an astonished look on his face. Draco smirked. "Surprised to see me Sev?"

"How did you get here?" Severus asked.

"A house elf brought me to your backyard and I proceeded to let myself in. It is good to see you Sev."

"It is good to see you too Draco. However, it is not safe here. You must leave at once. Your father is so desperate to find you that he checks in with all of us regularly and may show up unannounced."

"Lucius has actually been here?"

"Yes several times. I do not want him to know I am in contact with you so you best leave now."

"I would like you to come with me Sev. Mother would like to see you and I would like you to meet the friend that has helped us escape. In addition, I have a couple of surprises for you and today may be the only day we can have this meeting. Will you come with me?"

Draco watched as Severus thought about this for moment. "I can do that. Just give me a moment to send a note to Dumbledore to let him know I won't be available for the day."

It did not take Severus long and Dobby quickly brought them back to the Bungalow.

"Where are we Draco and what is going on?"

"I'm not sure of our exact location. I just know that we are completely safe for the moment. Now as you know my mother and I left Lucius. What you don't know is that mother's accomplice, the one who stunned Lucius, was me."

Draco waited a minute while what he said sunk in.

"You are telling me that you properly stunned Lucius?"

"Yes."

"How is that possible?"

"Because I am 23 Sev. I found a potion in one of the books at the Manor that would act as a fast moving poison. It was supposed to kill me. Instead of doing that I woke up in my 11 year old body as did my friend."

"I know of the potion you speak of," Severus responded after a moment's thought. Its name has been lost but I have heard of it. Normally it would bring on a fast death as those who take it are wishing for death. The goal of the potion is to bring you where you most want to be. If that is death then that is where it will bring you. However, if you are thinking of anything else when the potion kicks in it will bring to the place in your memories."

Draco was speechless. He knew his last thoughts had been on the day he met Harry so that explains why the potion had brought him back to the night before. For Harry to be here too meant that he was thinking about the same day. They had gotten incredibly lucky.

"I was brought back to the night before I met my friend. I was thinking about how different things would have been if we had been friends back then instead of waiting until it was too late to defeat the Dark Lord."

"The Dark Lord was back?" Severus asked.

"It was horrible Sev. Most everyone that would have stood against him was dead."

They both sat in silence for a few minutes. Draco was chasing the memories away while he figured Sev was trying to make sense of what Draco had told him.

"How is it you believe me Sev? Even my mum had a hard time believing what we told her was real?"

"It's quite simple Draco. I have always been able to tell when you lie. In addition, you keep making eye contact with me, which means you are not trying to occlude your thoughts from me. Now who is this friend of yours Draco and why are you trying to hide home from me?"

Draco sighed this was the tricky part. He really hoped Sev would give Harry a chance.

"I haven't told you who he was because you didn't get along with his father. I was worried you'd judge him based on your feelings for his father rather than him which is what you did the last time."

"Who is he Draco?"

"Harry Potter."

Once again, Sev looked shocked. Draco was pretty sure whoever Sev thought was helping him Harry was the last person he would have suspected.

"I will give him a chance Draco. I won't make any promises and at Hogwarts I will have an image to maintain but I will try for your sake."

Draco smiled. That was all he could ask for. He called Dobby and had Dobby get Harry.

After a tense meeting between Sev and Harry, they brought Sev to the Bungalow. He was shocked to find out that Petunia and Dudley were here and really couldn't wait to see the look on Dumbledore's face when he realized they were no longer on Privet Drive.

They brought him out back to the shed first to have him check the Wolfsbane potion. Sev was sure it had been done correctly.

Draco warned Sev before they went into the house that there was a surprise waiting for him. He knew that Sev was going to like this surprise. From what Harry had told him about the memories Sev had left him, getting forgiveness from Lily would be the best thing they could give Sev.

For the third time that day, Sev seemed dumbfounded. He stared at the portrait in shock. Draco watched as his mum erected a silencing spell and then they all went to her room to give Sev some privacy.

By the time they went back out Sev was gone. Lily told them that she and Sev had a nice conversation and that he would be in touch. She confided that he needed some time alone after their conversation.

Hermione, Remus, Petunia and Dudley returned shortly before dinner. Hermione had picked out her owl. It was a snowy one just like Harry's. She had named her Athena after the Greek goddess of wisdom. The surprising part was she had also purchased Crookshanks. She told them she was planning on bring Crookshanks to school with her and leaving Athena with her parents so they could write her whenever they wanted.

Dudley had picked out a little gray calico kitten, which he had named Dionysus. He had gotten the name from Hermione who while explaining her choice of Athena had mentioned Dionysus' name, as he was the Greek god of wine.

Draco's owl was an eagle owl similar to the one he had last time. Draco decided to keep the god theme going by naming his owl Mercury. Draco felt this was a perfect name as Mercury was the Roman god of the messengers.

Overall, it was a good day and once again, everyone turned in early. Draco, Harry and Narcissa had to be up early as they had heard back from Madam Bones and she would be meeting them tomorrow at Starlight Den.

The following morning Narcissa, Draco and Harry left before anyone else had risen. They enjoyed a delicious breakfast of pancakes, bacon and eggs before Madam Bones arrived. Draco and Harry had stayed in the kitchen while Remus, Narcissa and Madam Bones had talked.

It was not long before his mum called for him. Draco was honest with Madam Bones. He informed her he did not like the choices his father made and he did not want to be raised in that household. He explained that the stunner came from him but that it was a burst of accidental magic after seeing his father hit his mother.

Madam Bones seemed satisfied with his answers. She told Draco and his mum that she would have the charges of kidnapping dropped. Draco had then gone back into the kitchen to wait with Harry.

Harry had to go out to speak with Madam Bones a short time later. When Harry arrived back in the kitchen, Harry told him that Madam Bones wanted to make sure he understood what was going on. She had informed him that he would not be allowed to visit Sirius until his innocence was proven but that Sirius would be transferred into a Ministry holding cell until the time of the trial. She told Harry he could, however, write to Sirius.

She had been down to see Pettigrew and felt that the best place for him was where he was until trial. She promised them that she would let them know when the trial date was as soon as she found out.

The rest of the day was spent relaxing at home. Draco was relieved. He felt that things were going smoothly. He couldn't wait to hear back from his friends as he was sure his father would be livid when he found out Draco was no longer under his thumb.

Remus had stayed for dinner. Draco could get used to this. Normal family dinners where people talked to one another and one could be relaxed. He did not have to worry about his father showing up and ruining things.

After dinner, Draco went out and got a goblet full of the wolfsbane potion from the shed. He stopped Remus on his way out and explained to him what it was. To say Remus looked shocked was an understatement. Draco assured him that it had been brewed properly. He explained that Severus had taught him last time around and he had even had Sev check it while he had been here the day before.

That night Draco had the most peaceful sleep he had had since returning to his 11-year-old body. Of course, he should have known the peace would not last.

The next morning Link had brought over several letters from Dumbledore for Petunia. In all of them, he was urging her to return to Privet Drive. He had even threatened to have Dudley removed from her care if she did not return with Harry.

It had taken several hours for them to calm Petunia down. Harry was livid. Draco could not blame him. They just had to hang on and wait for Sirius. With Sirius' backing there was nothing Dumbledore could do.

Remus had promised to visit Sirius as soon as Madam Bones allowed and see what kind of shape he was in. If he was up to it, Remus was going to have him sign paperwork stating that Petunia had his full support in Harry's current living arrangements.

Remus too would side with Petunia. He would make sure that nothing happened to Harry or Dudley. He made sure that Petunia understood that Dumbledore had no power here, he was bluffing.

That night after dinner, Remus brought Hermione home. They had let her keep the book on occlumency and figured by the time term started she would have the basics mastered.

Once Hermione left, Draco went to the loft to write his friends. He did not change how he wrote to Pansy at all. He wrote a long letter about nothing of importance.

With Blaise though he told him outright what was going on. That he had spoken with Madam Bones and that the charges would be dropped. He then explained that he might have a way for them to meet but he would not be able to give him any advanced notice. He told him to be ready. He sent Pansy's letter off with Hedwig but sent Blaise's letter off with Mercury. He stared at the sky until he could longer see them before going into bed.


	10. Chapter 10

The last few weeks before school flew by for Harry. Harry spent a majority of that time with his friends and family. It was a nice change from how this time had been spent last time around.

The only person he did not see much of was Draco. To keep from raising suspicions with Tonks and Charlie, he and Draco did not visit with Andromeda at the same time. When Professor Snape would come over to visit with Draco, Cissy and his mum, Harry found himself visiting Hermione while Dudley and Petunia would visit with Remus. They always left when Professor Snape came over otherwise he would not stay for very long.

Of course, that meant that Draco too tended to visit Hermione without him. While Draco was with Hermione, Harry visited with his mum, dad and Moony.

Draco would also spend time with Blaise at Remus'. Harry was extremely uncomfortable with this idea at first. So much so that he and Draco had had a huge fight about it. Harry did not feel it was safe for Blaise to know anything about Draco's whereabouts. Draco however was adamant in his belief that Blaise was on his side. Unfortunately for Harry, Narcissa, his parents and Remus felt they should give Blaise a chance and trust Draco's judgment. That was what had started their spending time by themselves.

Harry figured things would go back to normal once they were at Hogwarts. After all Draco would be in Gryffindor with Harry while Blaise was in Slytherin.

The full moon went extremely well. Remus had taken the wolfsbane potion Draco had brewed for him and it worked perfectly. He could not stay at Starlight Den since they did not want Pettigrew to know who was holding him. Remus refused to stay at the Bungalow since he was not about to risk infecting them in case the potion did not work.

In the end, they decided he would stay in an unused room at Crimson Hall. The elves would ward it with their own brand of magic on top of the wards Remus would put on the room. Harry's parents had insisted on being brought back to Crimson Hall so that Remus would not have to spend another full moon alone.

The day after the full moon Harry and Draco had paced anxiously waiting for Remus to arrive. When he turned up right before lunch, he immediately swept Draco up in a hug while profusely thanking him.

Harry was pleased. He trusted that Draco had known what he was doing. He was happy that Remus would no longer lose his mind on the nights of the full moon. With any luck, Padfoot would be able to spend the next full moon with Remus just like old times.

A few days after the full moon Remus once again turned up at the Bungalow with a spring in his step. Harry watched as he walked right over to his father.

"I've seen Padfoot Prongs. He looks dreadful just as Harry said he would but he is not insane. We talked for four hours Prongs. The more time I spent with him the more he seemed like his old self. It was wonderful Prongs. I told him about your portrait. He cannot wait to see you and Lily."

"I cannot wait to see him either Moony. I just hope that I see him sooner rather than later."

"I almost forgot. I ran into Madam Bones while I was there. His trial date has been set for September 2. If all goes well he will be out of there in a few weeks."

Harry frowned. He was thrilled that they had a definite date for the trial but was upset he would not be able to attend given he would be at Hogwarts at the time.

"What's wrong Harry?" Remus asked with a hint of concern in his voice.

"I'm a little bummed I won't get to see Sirius until Christmas time. By the time he comes home I will already be at Hogwarts."

Remus chuckled. "Don't worry about that. If I know Sirius, you are one of the first people he is going to want to see. If Dumbledore will not let you go to Sirius then Sirius will come to you. You know that he can find a way into that castle without being detected."

Harry brightened at this news. "You're right Moony. If he can get in as a fugitive with Hogsmeade and the castle surrounded by Dementors then getting in as a free man will be a piece of cake. Have you figured out where he will be staying once he's free?"

"Yes. Your parents, your aunt, Cissy and I had a conversation about it just the other day. We decided he would come here at first. We have already seen that owls cannot find us here as Link delivers our mail. Petunia and Cissy will move to the loft and I will sleep on the couch so that Sirius can have the bedroom. Once he has his strength back we will reassess the situation."

"That sounds like a good plan. Did Madam Bones say whether I could write him yet?"

"She did say you could correspond with him now that he was settled in. Just know this Harry, all of his mail will be screened so don't put anything in a letter you aren't okay with other people reading."

Harry nodded and went to the loft to write Sirius. It turned out to be much more difficult than Harry thought it would be. They was so much he wanted to say and so little, he actually could.

_Dear Sirius,_

_I hope you are feeling better now that you are away from the dementors. Remus told me that you know of my parents' portrait. They are very anxious to see you, as am I. _

_My parents and Remus have told me all sorts of tales from your time at Hogwarts. I cannot wait to go there and see all of the things they have told me about. I am hoping to be in Gryffindor though mum, dad and Moony have assured me that they will love me regardless of what house I am in._

_I am currently living with my Aunt Petunia and my cousin Dudley. Before you get upset since they left my uncle they have been treating me well. Dudley is a wizard too. He is so excited to start school. He thinks it would be cool to be in the same house as me but does not really seem to have a preference as to which house that is. _

_ I have met your cousin Andromeda and her husband, Ted and daughter, Nymphadora who likes to go by Tonks. They seem like very nice people. Andromeda has been extremely helpful in getting you a trial. Her sister Narcissa has also been a big help from what I am told._

_ My cousin and I have already made a friend who will be going to school with us. We happened to run into her at a nearby park. She is brilliant. She believes she will be in Ravenclaw. With her intelligence, I would not be surprised. She has already read most of her schoolbooks from cover to cover. She is most looking forward to Transfiguration._

_ I am excited to learn about all of it. Until my letter came, I had no idea I was a wizard. My uncle forbid my aunt from telling me. That is okay because it is all working out rather well now._

_ I know you will not be able to write me back but if you tell Remus anything, I am sure he will let me know. I cannot wait to you see again. I have missed my Uncle Paddy. Yes, I do remember that. I hope to see you soon._

_Love, _

_Harry_

Harry felt when he was done he had done a good job. He knew it was not entirely truthful but he felt that if anyone read it no one would think anything was wrong. He knew that as soon as Sirius felt up to it his parents and Moony would fill him in on the real story. He hoped that his letter would cheer Sirius up. He also felt it would help his aunt and Cissy with their requests for Sirius.

The day before school started Remus showed up again. He told Harry that Padfoot loved the letter and said, "Tell Prongslet that I cannot wait to see him. I am grateful for his letter and to not worry I will take care of his family."

Remus felt that when Sirius found out that Harry considered Cissy family she too would be taken care of. For Harry it was all he could have asked for. He felt confident that while at school he would not have to worry so much about Cissy and his Aunt Petunia.

After dinner that night, he instructed his elves to obey Remus, Sirius, Petunia and Narcissa as they would him. Dobby had the same instructions from Draco. Harry felt things would work out well with the elves as according to Remus Dobby had taken a shine to Sunny. Harry would not be surprised at all, if he or Draco gained a new elf soon.

Before bed, he and Draco finally had a talk about their fight. Harry went out back where Draco was looking at the stars and sat down next to him.

"Listen Dray I am sorry about how I acted with Blaise. It is obvious that you were right about him and that he can be trusted."

"It's okay Harry. I am sorry too. I should have listened to your worries. For all your knowledge of what happened last time, you have next to no knowledge about Blaise. I should have included you in my decision. I could have had you hidden at Remus' just in case things went south. I handle it wrong Harry and for that I apologize."

Harry sighed. "I was just so scared Dray. You are the most important person in the world to me. I don't know what I would do without you."

"I feel the same way about you Harry. From now on we will make important decisions like that together and if we don't agree we will come up with a compromise that we can both live with."

Harry felt better that night as he drifted off to sleep. He and Draco were on the same page and Sirius would soon be out of jail. He was slightly worried about how the sorting would go tomorrow. He knew a lot of their plan hinged on Draco being in Gryffindor. Hopefully, everything would go smoothly.

The next morning started smoothly. Remus brought Harry and Dudley to the train station. They had already said goodbye to Petunia and Cissy before they left the Bungalow. It was not safe for Cissy to go to the train station and Harry would prefer that Petunia did not go either until Sirius was a free man.

Draco would wait until after the train took off and then Dobby would bring him to the compartment they were in. They felt it would be safer for Draco if his father had no access to him before school started.

Thanks to Professor Snape, Dumbledore knew what was going on with Draco and Cissy. At least he knew the story Draco and Cissy had told Madam Bones. He had agreed to protect Draco from Lucius should the need arise.

Hermione found them shortly after they had gotten settled into a compartment. She let Crookshanks out of his cage and he immediately curled up next to Dionysus. Harry had let Hedwig fly to school just as Draco did with Mercury.

Less than five minutes after the train started moving Dobby brought Draco aboard. They settled in rather quickly. Draco and Harry listened as Hermione and Dudley once again discussed what they thought Hogwarts would be like. They tried to stay out of these kinds of conversations because of their prior knowledge.

It was not far into the trip when Draco's friends found him. Pansy smothered him with a hug and bereted him for keeping her in the dark.

"I'm sorry Pansy. I just couldn't be sure that my letter wouldn't be intercepted." Draco turned to Crabbe and Goyle. "Guys it's good to see you. How was your summer?"

"It would have been better if we didn't have your father breathing down our necks Draco," Goyle stated.

"Yeah he was ruthless. He felt for sure that one of the four of us knew how to get to you," Crabbe added.

"Oh Draco it was terrible. When that article came out in the Daily Prophet that you had spoken with Madam Bones and the charges had been dropped it got even worse. How ever did you stand it darling?" Pansy asked.

Harry was not getting a good feeling about this. He could tell that Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle believed his mum had taken him and everything he had written in his letters to Pansy was untrue. Moreover, they had completely ignored his, Hermione and Dudley's presence. Blaise just stood there seemingly assessing the situation.

"First off my do not call me darling Pansy. How many times do I have to tell you that? Second off my mother did not kidnap me! I went with her willingly. I want nothing to do with Lucius. As soon as we are able to my mum and I will be renouncing the Malfoy name and we both will be Blacks. As far as I am concerned I am already Draco Black," Draco responded coldly.

Harry watched as Draco's friends looked dumbfounded. The only one who did not was Blaise. He sat down next to Hermione and finally joined the conversation.

"Hello I'm Blaise Zabini and these three are Pansy Parkinson, Greg Goyle and Vince Crabbe. Who might you three be?"

"Hermione Granger."

"Dudley Evans."

"Harry Potter."

If Harry thought Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy had looked dumbfounded before he was wrong. The news that Harry Potter was in the compartment with them shocked them.

"Draco what in Earth's name are you doing sitting with these people?" Pansy asked shock coloring her voice.

Draco rolled his eyes. "These are my friends Pansy. I told you I want nothing to do with Lucius. I have nothing against muggleborns and that pureblood nonsense will not be tolerated in my presence. If you are not okay with that you might as well leave now."

After a few minutes to determine if he was serious or not Pansy, Goyle and Crabbe left. Harry was sure the whole train would hear about Draco's new views before they arrived at Hogwarts.

It was a short while later that the Weasley twins stuck their heads in.

"Hello we were wondering if," one twin started. Harry thought it was George.

"the rumors were true?" finished the one Harry thought was Fred.

"Which rumors are you talking about?" Hermione asked politely.

"Well the ones about Malfoy of course," the twins said in unison.

"Do not call me that," Draco snapped. "If you cannot handle calling me Draco then refer to me as Black. I do not want to be associated with that name."

The twins looked shocked. Harry sighed. It seemed like all he and Draco did these days was shock people.

"Are you by any chance related to Charlie Weasley?" Dudley asked.

"Yes we are he," Fred started.

"is our older brother." George finished.

"Hold on," Draco interrupted. "I can't handle this back and forth thing. Either finish your sentences or don't bother talking to me."

Harry frowned. He knew Draco was thinking of the days when George had stayed with them. George would stop randomly in the middle of sentences and always look so sad that Fred was not there to finish them.

"Charlie is one of our older brothers. How do you know him?" Fred asked.

"I met him when Remus brought Harry, my mum and I to dinner at Mrs. Tonks' house," Dudley replied.

"That explains it Forge."

"Yes it does Gred. We both know how much time Charlie has been spending with the lovely Tonks."

Harry wondered why he never realized that the Weasleys had known Tonks prior to the Order of the Phoenix. He was surprised Ron or Ginny had not mentioned it.

"Those are some weird names," Blaise interjected.

"Oh those are just nicknames. I'm Fred," said the one Harry thought was George.

"And I'm George," responded the one Harry thought was Fred.

"It's nice to meet you," Hermione replied. "I'm Hermione Granger. These are my friends, Dudley Evans, Blaise Zabini, Harry Potter and Draco has already introduced himself."

Harry smiled. Fred and George did not even bat an eye when his name was mentioned though Blaise did seem surprised that Hermione had referred to him as a friend.

"As Dudley said we met your brother when Moony brought us to Andromeda's," Harry started intentionally saying Moony instead of Remus. "Your brother told us he had several siblings in school and that if we should ever need anything to ask you and you'd be more than willing to help."

Harry had to stifle a laugh. His name had garnered no reaction from Fred and George but Moony's name certainly had.

Harry turned to Draco. "Won't Moony, Padfoot and Prongs be happy to hear that we have already started to make new friends Dray?"

"Of course they will Harry. We will have to add that to the letter tonight."

"Did you just say Moony, Padfoot and Prongs?" the twins asked together their voices full of disbelief.

"Yes I did. Those are their nicknames. They gave them to each other while they were attending Hogwarts. Padfoot is my Godfather, Moony is my uncle and Prongs is my dad."

"You are the son,"

"of one of the Marauders?"

"Yes like I just said my father is Prongs."

"Wait a minute," George said. "Your father is dead. He died holding off You-Know-Who."

"Please don't do that You-Know-Who or He Who Must Not Be Named crap. Either refer to him as the Dark Lord, Voldemort or by his proper name of Tom Riddle," Draco stated.

"Why Tom Riddle?" Fred asked.

"Because that is his real name. He invented Voldemort. It is nothing more than an anagram. I am Lord Voldemort has all the same letters as his birth name of Tom Marvolo Riddle," Hermione answered.

"Back to your original question, yes my father died protecting me from Riddle but there is a portrait of him and my mum that made me promise to write."

The twins seemed satisfied by his answer. Harry figured that with a little bit of prodding he would have the map back in his possession before the end of the September.

When the witch with the tea trolley came around Harry bought snacks for everyone. The only one not interested was Hermione. Harry was not surprised. She had never been too fond of sweets.

A short time later Neville stuck his head in looking for his toad, Trevor. When he realized he was talking to _the_ Harry Potter his eyes got wide. Harry assured him that Trevor would turn up and that it would probably be best if Neville stayed in the same place so Trevor could find him. Draco invited him to stay with them and to help himself to some of the treats they had left.

For the most part the train ride went smoothly. Blaise and Neville were fitting right in with their group. Draco did not seem too upset that Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle had not stayed. Harry figured it was because Draco had expected them to bail on him.

The only black mark was when Ron showed up. Harry had a hard time keeping his face neutral. He was so happy to see Ron. He had not seen Ron in over 5 years. Unfortunately, Ron did not stay long. He had come to see if the rumors were true. Unlike his brothers, the rumor he wanted confirmed was not about Draco it was about Harry.

"So is one of you really Harry Potter?" Ron asked looking slightly skeptical.

"That's Harry," Dudley answered. "Are you related to Fred and George?"

The look on Ron's face said he did not appreciate being asked that question. Harry had a feeling this meeting was not going to go well.

"Yeah what's it to you?"

"Oh I was just curious. We met them earlier."

"So Harry," Ron started ignoring Dudley, "I'm Ron Weasley. Why don't you come back to my compartment with me? Trust me you do not want to be caught sitting with Malfoy here. Everyone knows his father was You-Know-Who's right hand man."

Harry was furious. He could not believe Ron was acting like this. He did not know anything about Draco.

"No thanks. Draco is my friend. He wants nothing to do with his father. I am enjoying sitting with my friends. I would have asked you to join us but we wouldn't want to ruin your reputation by being caught with a _Malfoy_," Harry said with disgust.

Harry watched as the tips of Ron's ears turned pink before he turned and stormed away.

"Are you okay Harry?" Draco whispered to him a few minutes later.

"I'm fine Dray. Don't worry about," Harry responded. But Harry was nowhere close to being fine. His very first friend his own age disliked him. He had missed Ron so much but now it looked like he would not get to have his friend back. Harry hoped that when they got to Hogwarts things would change. Maybe after Ron spent some time with Draco he would see he was nothing like his father.

The rest of the trip went by rather quickly. No one else disturbed them. When it was time to ride the boats to the school, Draco, Dudley and Neville joined a boat containing Susan Bones while Harry, Blaise and Hermione got into a boat containing Hannah Abbott.

Harry managed to convey the appropriate amount of awe at seeing the castle for the first time. After all, it had been forever since he had seen it this way. He had forgotten how much he missed Hogwarts.

Just like last time Hagrid had found Trevor as they were leaving the boats. Neville seemed overjoyed that Harry had been right about Trevor turning up.

As they entered the Great Hall, it was filled with whispers though Harry could not be sure if they were about him or about Draco. First up was Hannah who was once again sorted into Hufflepuff.

Then came their first shock. Professor McGonagall had paused while looking at the next name. Harry was not sure why. He was pretty sure Susan was next to be sorted. Unfortunately, that was not the name she called out.

"Black, Draco!"

The whispering got much louder at that announcement. Harry watched as Draco walked quietly over to the stool. This time the hat, instead of shouting out Slytherin before it was barely on his head, made Draco's sorting seem to last forever.

"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat finally shouted.

The hall was dead silent. No one had expected Draco to be sorted into Gryffindor. Harry was relieved. They accomplished their goal. Somehow, Draco had talked the hat into putting him in Gryffindor. Nothing else mattered.

A short time later Harry watched as Crabbe was called up to the stool. Once again, this sorting took a much longer time than he remembered.

Finally, the hat said, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

Harry saw that Crabbe seemed relieved. Did that mean he had wanted to be in Hufflepuff?

After Tracey Davis was sorted into Slytherin, it was Dudley's turn but once again, they received a surprise.

"Evans, Dudley!"

Harry could not believe it. Both Draco and Dudley had been called using their mum's maiden names. What was going on?

"HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat shouted almost immediately.

The surprises did not end there.

"Goyle, Gregory!"

Harry wondered if Goyle would take as long to sort as Crabbe did but was surprised when a few seconds later the hat once again called out, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

Harry caught Draco's eye. He seemed just as perplexed by the goings on as Harry felt. After that, Harry paid more attention than he expected to have to.

However, nothing changed. Hermione and Neville were still sorted into Gryffindor, Daphne Greengrass and Theodore Nott once again went to Slytherin, Ernie Macmillan was still a Hufflepuff, while Lily Moon and Morag MacDougal were still Ravenclaws.

"Parkinson, Pansy!"

Harry was tense as he watched Pansy go up to be sorted. He was not sure what to expect.

"RAVENCLAW!"

Harry stood there dumbfounded. So far, all of Draco's friends had been sorted out of Slytherin. He wondered where Blaise would end up.

Harry was so absorbed in his thoughts that he missed the next few sortings. He was pulled out of his thoughts when Professor McGonagall called, "Potter, Harry!"

Harry slowly made his way to the stool. He was just as nervous as last time but for an entirely different reason. He wondered briefly if he might end up in Slytherin without Draco. He certainly hoped not.

"Ah Mr. Potter how nice to meet you. Though this isn't our first meeting for you is it?"

All Harry could think was please put me with Draco.

"Mr. Black has told me all about your plans. I wish you luck Mr. Potter. GRYFFINDOR!"

Harry made his way slowly over to the Gryffindor table. He sat down next to Draco while the Gryffindors celebrated.

Unfortunately, the shocks were not over. Zacharias Smith went to Slytherin. Harry noticed he did not seem to upset by it. Harry actually felt quite bad for the Slytherins. Smith would make only the fifth person this year that had been sorted into Slytherin. Harry felt that chances were good that Blaise would not be a Slytherin this time either.

Finally, it was only Ron and Blaise left. Harry watched as Ron walked over to be sorted. He seemed quite pale. Harry watched as the hat spoke with him for quite a while. The longer the hat spoke with Ron the more worried Harry became. The longest conversations had resulted in people moving from the house they were in last time.

"SLYTHERIN!" the hat shouted finally.

Harry was as stunned as Ron was. He could not believe this. Ron a Slytherin? He watched as Ron warily made his way to the Slytherin table.

"Zabini, Blaise!"

Harry turned his attention back to Blaise. He was hoping with all his might that Blaise would go to Slytherin. Harry would feel better if Ron had someone in Slytherin with him that Harry trusted.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Harry just sat there stunned. Nothing had gone according to plan. Well except Draco being in Gryffindor with Harry. What had seemed rather easy was now going to be downright impossible with no contacts in Slytherin. Harry was not sure what he and Draco were going to do.


	11. Chapter 11

Draco woke up for the first time at Hogwarts not surrounded by Slytherin green but Gryffindor red. He could not believe how things had gone last night at the sorting. All of their carefully laid plans had been blown to smithereens.

They were supposed to create friendships with all the houses but how were they supposed to do that when the houses had been turned upside down. Granted only Draco and Harry knew how different things were but still.

All his Slytherin friends were no longer in Slytherin. He was not sure how they were going to appeal to the Slytherins without having any ties. Draco figured they would have to go through Weasel. That was probably the biggest shock for Draco. He had always known Pansy was smart so her going to Ravenclaw was not a surprise. Draco knew Greg and Vince were not smart enough for Ravenclaw nor brave enough for Gryffindor. The looks of relief on both of their faces said they had asked to be in Hufflepuff. Draco felt that meant he might still have a shot with them. Blaise was standing by Draco's side firmly against the Dark Lord and given his family's neutrality that took some guts so Gryffindor made sense. Smith was a sneaky git last time around. Draco had always felt that Smith would have done well in Slytherin. The only one he did not get was Weasel. Why on earth was he in Slytherin?

Granted he was not smart enough to be a Ravenclaw and the way he treated Harry especially during the Triwizard tournament meant he was not loyal enough to be a Hufflepuff. He supposed that the hat's only choices were Slytherin or Gryffindor. The only thing that had gone different this time for Weasel as far as he knew was the train ride.

That is when it hit him, the train ride. Everything about that train ride had been different. He had gotten on board after it left. He sat with Harry, Hermione and Dudley instead of Greg, Vince, Blaise and Pansy. By sitting with Draco, Harry had not sat with Ron. Of course, all their old friends had found them eventually. While Greg, Vince and Pansy had left to think about what he had said, Blaise stayed. Longbottom had stayed after they had spoken with him about Trevor and when Ron came in, he did not stay long. He only stayed long enough to find out if the rumors were true.

Draco shook his head. He had not meant to change that much. This was definitely going to be interesting but with all these switches Draco felt it was going to be a lot harder to follow through with their plans.

He knew one the first things he and Harry had planned on doing was asking one of the older Gryffindors to show them to class. Both he and Harry felt that it would be easier than trying to act as if they did not know where they were going.

Draco was the first one up and dressed out of the first years. He woke up Neville, Blaise and Harry on his way down to the common room. He noticed that the twins were already awake and appeared to be plotting something. Draco hoped that whatever it was had nothing to do with the Gryffindor first years.

Draco went to breakfast with Harry, Blaise, Neville and Hermione. When the mail arrived, Draco had received several letters. He was not surprised. Harry and Dudley had also received multiple letters. Draco read them while he ate his breakfast.

_Draco,_

_Congratulations on getting into Gryffindor! I know you had your heart set on it. I was surprised to hear that your friends were in Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. I know you thought they were Slytherins for sure. Stay positive. I know you were worried that if you got into Gryffindor you might not be able to continue your friendships. Now though it looks like you will not have to worry about that. _

_Your mother is fine though she misses you terrible. We are gearing up for Sirius' trial tomorrow. I will be sure to let you and Harry know how things turn out. Do not worry too much about your mum. She is strong Draco. Moreover, she has me, your Aunt Andromeda, Petunia and soon she will have Sirius too. _

_Have a good first week and let me know if you need anything,_

_Remus_

Draco was grateful for Remus' letter. He knew that his mum would be okay but it did not hurt to hear it from someone else. He knew the first part of Remus' letter was a way to cheer him up. Remus knew of their plans and knew their plans had included his friends being Slytherins. He had managed to find a way to make Draco feel better about the situation without mentioning the situation.

Draco had a short letter of congratulations from his Aunt Andromeda, Tonks, Petunia and James and Lily. Draco decided then and there that he could get used to this. Last time all he really had was a bunch of friends that were only his friends because they felt they had to be and his father. This time he had friends who liked him for him and an extended family. Draco felt that regardless of the changes that had happened last night that this year would be better than it had the first time around.

Draco decided he would open the letter from his mum later when he was around fewer people. Harry had received similar letters. The one from his parents was much longer than the one Draco had received from them though the one from his mum appeared to be just as long as his.

Draco could not say he was surprised. His mum had treated Harry like he was her own ever since she found out about their past. Harry seemed to feel the same way about her.

Draco spent the rest of breakfast chatting with his other first years. He did not really know all that much about Seamus, Dean, Parvati and Lavender. The biggest thing he knew was that Lavender had dated Ron during sixth year and given what he had been up to sixth year he was lucky to have known that.

When their schedules were passed out, he saw that the first class of the day was Charms with the Hufflepuffs. Draco immediately got up and approached Oliver Wood.

"Excuse me; I was wondering if you would be willing to show me and the rest of the first years how to get to the Charms classroom?" Draco asked politely.

"Sure thing. Are you all ready to go?" Oliver replied.

"Yep just let me go let them know." Draco made his way back over to where the first years were sitting. "Hey guys I got one of the upper years to show us where the Charms classroom is."

Oliver then led all of them on the short walk to the Charms classroom. They were there way before the Hufflepuffs. Draco was a little nervous. He and Harry had not been able to determine just how strong their magic was. He hoped that they would be able to act just like the other first years.

The rest of the day seemed to fly by. Dudley had come over and sat with them at lunch. He too had gotten similar letters. The twins were sitting nearby so they made sure to work Moony, Padfoot and Prongs into their conversation as much as possible. Harry and Draco really wanted that map back so they could keep an eye out for Quirrell.

Oliver once again escorted them to class after lunch. This time it was History of Magic with the Ravenclaws. Draco took a nap in this class. He had never been able to stay awake and hoped that since he had already taken the class it would come back to him easily enough.

It was at dinner that things got rough. They had barely started eating when his father strode in looking up and down the Slytherin table. Draco figured he was looking for him and knew this was not going to be good.

"Dumbledore where is my son? I have been assured he is in the castle. He is coming with me."

"He is sitting with his year mates enjoying his dinner Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore replied calmly.

His father once again looked up and down the Slytherin table. "No he is not. I have looked for him twice and he is not there. What have you done with him?" Lucius asked as he pointed at the Slytherin table.

"Mr. Malfoy you are looking at the wrong table. Young Draco was not sorted into Slytherin." Dumbledore looked like he was trying to hide a grin.

Draco watched as his father checked the Ravenclaw table and then the Hufflepuff table twice before looking at the Gryffindor table. When his father set eyes on him Draco for the first time felt nervous. His father looked pissed. He hoped that the plan they had in place would work, as there was no way he was going with his father.

"Draco come over here now. We are leaving," Lucius said his voice as cold as ice.

"No I will not go with you. I do not want to go with you. I am going to stay here at Hogwarts and with Mother."

Lucius' eyes flashed with anger. "Stop this nonsense. You are coming with me now." Lucius started to make his way over to Draco.

Draco stood up and started to back away from Lucius. He was not alone though. Blaise, Harry, Hermione, Neville and the twins were going with him standing in front of him protectively.

Draco stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned around. There were Pansy, Greg, Vince and Dudley. His friends had his back. They had chosen him. He knew this would not be good for them though. Their fathers were not going to be happy that they were helping Draco stay away from his father.

"Mr. Malfoy if I may? Mr. Black has made it quite clear that he does not wish to go with you. In addition his mother has spoken with me and made it quite clear that you are not allowed to remove young Draco from Hogwarts and under no circumstances are you to be alone with him." The tone of Dumbledore's voice suggested there was no room for discussion.

Lucius stopped. "Very well then I would like to speak with my son and Professor Snape in private."

Draco knew this was not good. If he were alone with Severus and Lucius, his father would try to take him or severely punish him. Sev would not be able to do anything without risking Riddle finding out he was not on his side. Before he could speak up and object, Professor McGonagall interrupted.

"Why would you meet with Professor Snape? He has nothing to do with the boy. You may meet with Draco and me in Professor Dumbledore's office after dinner. When we are finished I will escort him up there."

Lucius did not say a word he just strode out of the Great Hall. Dumbledore followed close behind him. Draco went back to his table relieved. He would have to make time to talk to Pansy, Greg and Vince tomorrow. Right now, he had to figure out what he was going to do about Lucius and how he would protect his friends from their father's wrath.

Draco spent the rest of dinner worrying about what to do about Lucius. He really wanted to talk to Harry about it but they could not have an open conversation during dinner and Draco could not leave.

As he got up to leave with Professor McGonagall Harry gave his shoulder a squeeze and told him everything would be fine. Draco wished he could believe Harry.

He and Professor McGonagall walked in silence to Dumbledore's office. She gave the gargoyle the password and up they went. He could hear his father before they even opened the door.

"What's with all this Mr. Black nonsense? Why do you keep calling my son that?"

"It is how he wishes to be addressed. When Professor McGonagall read the names off for her list of first years it registered him as Draco Black."

Professor McGonagall knocked once and then entered the office. Draco made sure to keep the professor between him and Lucius. As Dumbledore rose to leave Draco stopped him.

"Professor Dumbledore I would appreciate it if you would stay. I do not trust my father. It is not that I don't think Professor McGonagall is capable I would just feel better if you were both present."

"As you wish, Mr. Black."

Again, Draco felt like Dumbledore was trying not to smile. He could tell Lucius did not like this Mr. Black business and Draco felt Dumbledore kept referring to him as such just to annoy Lucius.

"Stop calling him that. I do not care what the list said. Legally he is a Malfoy and you all will refer to him as such."

"Alas Mr. Malfoy you are wrong. I received an owl just before dinner stating that Draco and Narcissa have been reinstated to the Black family. Legally he can be referred to as Mr. Malfoy or Mr. Black. So Draco which would you prefer?"

"Black sir. I do not want to be associated with the Malfoy name. May I ask you a question?" When Dumbledore nodded, Draco continued. "How is it that my mother and I have been reinstated? I thought only the head of the Black family could do that and last I checked Sirius was the head of the family."

"You are correct Mr. Black. However, Sirius has just been released from Azkaban. There was proof he was innocent of the crimes he was incarcerated for. Once the Wizengamot saw the evidence they deemed him innocent and released him."

Draco's jaw dropped. It worked. They actually freed Sirius. He had to go find Harry.

"Professor Dumbledore that is wonderful news! To be honest I want nothing to do with Lucius. As far as I am concerned, he is no father of mine. I know that as soon as my mother is able she will be legally leaving him. I do not wish to speak with him so I was wondering if I could be excused. I have absolutely nothing to say to him."

"Of course Mr. Black. I will not force you to speak to your fath…excuse me, Mr. Malfoy."

Draco left without looking back. He would let Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall deal with Lucius, right now he need to find Harry. He checked the common room and the dorms and when he could not find Harry there checked the library. He did not find Harry in the library but did find Hermione and Blaise.

Hermione was immediately out of her seat and threw her arms around Draco's neck. "You're okay. I was so worried. Blaise was telling me what a horrid person your father is."

"I'm fine Hermione. I was with Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall what was he going to do? Now I need to speak with Harry have either of you seen him?"

"We all split up so then when you left your father you'd be bound to run into one of us. The twins are in the common room, Pansy, Greg, Vince and Dudley are still in the Great Hall and Neville and Harry went outside."

"Thanks."

Draco took off at a run. He passed Vince, Greg, Pansy and Dudley on his way outside. He went straight to the quidditch field.

"Harry!" Draco called.

"What is it Dray?" Harry asked nervously, rushing over to him. "Did he hurt you? Did he find a way to make you leave?"

"No I'm fine. I got some amazing news."

"How does being with Lucius lead to amazing news?" Harry asked sounding doubtful.

"I'm officially a Black as is my mum."

"But that's not possible," Harry stated.

"You weren't officially a Black?" Neville asked.

"He can't be because the head of the Black house is in prison."

"Not anymore he's not. Dumbledore told me that I was reinstated, as Sirius was free Harry. It worked. He is out of there. No more Azkaban. No more dementors. Harry, Sirius is likely with Moony, your aunt, my mum and your parents right now."

"It worked?" Harry asked quietly.

Draco just nodded his head.

Harry started back up to the school at a quick pace. Neville and Draco exchanged confused looks before chasing after him.

"Slow down Harry," Neville said.

"Where are you going?" Draco asked.

"To see Sirius," Harry responded.

They had just gotten back up to the school when the doors opened and they saw Lucius being escorted from the property by several of the professors.

They did not say a word to him just watched him go.

"Ah Mr. Black, Mr. Longbottom, it is time for you two to return to your dorms. Mr. Potter if you would come with me there is some here to see you," Professor McGonagall said.

Draco made his way slowly back up to the dorms while he filled in Neville. He had to go through it all again once he got to the common room for Blaise, Hermione and the twins were waiting for him. By the time they all went to bed, Harry still had not returned.

When Draco woke the next morning, it was obvious Harry had been there as his school things were gone and his bed looked slept in. Draco got ready as quick as he could and made his way down to the Great Hall.

An obviously tired Harry was sitting alone at the Gryffindor table. Draco hurried over to sit with him.

"Morning Harry. What happened last night? Did you get to see Siri?"

"No Dray. Remus came to see me to let me know what happened. I tried to go see him but Remus refused. He said Sirius needs some time before I can come see him." Harry dropped his voice to a whisper, "He knows. Remus, my mum and dad told him. He needs a few days to wrap his head around it."

"Well can you blame him?" Draco asked. "It is a lot to take in. Not to mention he just got out of Azkaban. I know how badly you want to see him Harry but right now he is safe and away from the dementors and you will see him soon."

"I know Dray. It is just hard. I miss him so very much." Harry sighed and rested his head on the table. "Let me know when it's time to leave for class."

The rest of the week went by quickly. No matter how hard he tried, Draco could not find time to meet up with Vince, Greg and Pansy. At breakfast on Friday, Harry got a letter from Hagrid inviting him for tea. Harry sent Hedwig back and said he would be there and he was going to bring some friends. He told Hagrid to let him know if that was not okay if it was he would see him for tea at three.

They were almost done with their breakfast when Dumbledore came over. "Mr. Potter, your godfather has written me and asked for permission to bring you home for the weekend so he can get to know you. Is that something you would like?"

Harry seemed to think for a moment though Draco knew that he was trying to compose himself. "That would be nice Professor Dumbledore. I would like a chance to meet Sirius. I was expecting to have to wait until Christmas break to meet him."

"Then I will let him know to meet us tonight. I will bring you down to the gates after dinner. Have a good day Mr. Potter, Mr. Black."

Draco was surprised Dumbledore addressed him. He was doing his best to pretend as if he was not listening to everything being said. Obviously, he did not fool Dumbledore.

Today was their dreaded potions lesson. Draco was not sure what to expect. Everything had changed. None of his friends were in Slytherin and Sev knew about everything. He wondered how different this class would be to last time.

Draco had been surprised. Sev had kept his and Harry's first meeting very similar. The only difference being that Harry knew the answers this time. Draco had sat with Blaise; Harry had sat with Hermione and Neville. The Slytherins had sat together, boys at one table girls at another. Draco knew if he had any hope of reaching them they would have to break up those groups.

The class had gone smoothly. Without him, Greg, Vince and Pansy to stir things up the Slytherins were well behaved. Draco felt that he might have a chance to make friends with the Slytherins after all. None of them were being nasty to the Gryffindors.

As they were packing up Severus asked Draco to stay after class. Harry and Blaise managed to get Hermione and Neville to leave without a fuss. As soon as they were alone and the door was shut, Sev erected some privacy spells.

"How are you doing Draco?" Severus asked quietly.

"I'm doing as well as can be expected. The sorting did not turn out quite like I thought it would. I have not even had a chance to talk to Pansy, Greg and Vince since the train. I do not know exactly where their heads are at. I just know that their fathers are not going to be happy that they helped me stand up to Lucius."

"You are right about that Draco. Lucius is livid. He feels you made a fool of him. I would be cautious if I were you. You are also correct about your friends' fathers. We will have to think up a plan to keep them safe. I will talk to your mother, the wolf and the mutt about it."

Draco laughed. He could not help it. Severus just stood looking at him warily. It took him several minutes to stop laughing. "I'm sorry Sev it's just you calling Remus and Sirius that…" Draco broke off into another fit of laughter.

"Why is that funny Draco?" Severus asked sounding confused.

"Because you said it nicely. There was no malice or disgust in your voice. Harry probably would have fainted. He really won't believe it when I tell him."

"Right last time we did not get along. Both Sirius and I kept up our old grudge."

Draco's jaw dropped. Hearing Sev refer to Siri as the mutt was one thing but hearing him actually call Sirius by his name was another.

"Don't look so shocked. Your story along with my relationship with Lily was bound to have a change on me. I have spent time with both Sirius and Remus since Sirius was released. There have been apologies on both sides. Lily made us realize we were behaving childishly. She told us that to keep the ones we love safe we would have to work together."

Draco watched as Severus sat down. He saw that Sev looked tired.

"If getting along with the two of them makes Lily happy, and keeps you and your mother safe then that is what I must do. I will not lose anyone else I love nor will I cause Lily anymore pain." Severus added looking up at him with fire in his eyes.

"I understand Sev. I love you too." Draco replied. He walked around Severus' desk and gave him a hug. Severus stiffened at first but then relaxed and returned the hug.

"You have no idea how hard it was to lose you so shortly after mother. For most of my life you have been more of a father to me than Lucius ever was and it just about killed me to lose you too." At that, Draco broke down. Severus just held him until he was all cried out.

"Go and find your friends Draco." Severus said after Draco had pulled away. "I am sure Granger and Longbottom are worried about you and Potter might even be worried at this point."

"I'm surprised Harry hasn't managed to barge in here asking what is taking us so long. See you this weekend Sev?" Draco asked.

"If you wish. I will likely be brewing this weekend so you know where to find me."

Draco nodded. As he was leaving he heard Severus softly say, "I love you Draco. Stay safe."

Draco looked back at Sev and flashed a smile. "Love you too Sev." Draco left to meet up with his friends feeling much better than he had this morning.

Draco did not hear from Harry all weekend. Harry had brought him, Hermione, Nev and Dud to tea at Hagrid's. Draco had not found time to get Harry alone before he was whisked off to go home.

Despite his best efforts, he did not manage to talk to Greg, Vince or Pansy at all that weekend. According to Dudley, Vince and Greg were worried. They had not left their dorms except to go to class and eat since they had stood behind Draco. They had gotten howlers from their fathers. Dudley figured that they were worried if they were seen with him their fathers might come and get them. Draco had seen Pansy and tried to talk to her but every time he approached her, she turned and practically ran in the other direction.

Draco did however get to spend some time with Sev. Draco spent a few hours on Saturday and a few hours on Sunday helping him brew potions. It was while he was with Sev on Sunday that he finally heard from Harry.

_Dray,_

_ Meet me in the RoR._

He immediately rushed off only saying Harry was back and he had to go. He knew that Harry meant the Room of Requirements. He must have some news to tell Draco that could not wait and could not be overheard. He made it there in record time. Harry was waiting outside and passed by the wall three times and they both entered the room. All it had in it were two cozy chairs and a fireplace. Draco and Harry settled in.

"So how was your weekend? How is Sirius? How's my mum?"

Harry chuckled. "Slow down Dray. One question at a time."

"How's my mum?"

"Your mum is fine. Much better now that she has seen me. She heard from Remus and Severus about the showdown with Lucius. I filled her in on what they did not know. She told me to tell you she loves you and not to worry about her. Plus Sirius is going to take care of you two so no worries there."

Draco was relieved. He had been so terribly worried about his mother. It was nice to know she was being taken care of. "How is Sirius?"

Harry's face lit up. "Sirius is doing great. He looks a lot worse than when I met him last time but there is a happiness that is there that also was not present last time. Even though my parents cannot be there with him, the portrait has helped. It took him a few days to digest our story but he never once questioned that it was true."

Draco was slightly surprised. He knew that it probably helped that he was hearing it from Moony, Prongs and Lily but he still thought it would take some convincing. "That's great Harry. The more people we have on our side who believe us the better."

"Sirius is going to make sure that Lucius will have no claim to you and Narcissa. He is also going to back Aunt Petunia. There will be no way Dumbledore can do anything to me with those two working together. Sirius is my legal guardian and Aunt Petunia has as much a claim as he does by being my last living blood relative. I'm free."

"Well that's a relief. I'm glad things are working out so well."

"There was one more thing that happened this weekend."

"Yeah and what was that?"

"I met Luna."

Draco was stunned. He had not expected that to happen. Hell, he was not even sure how that could happen. "How in the world did you meet Luna?"

"Sirius gave an interview to her father. He knows that Mr. Lovegood was important last time around and that he helped us as best he could. Mr. Lovegood brought her with him. The best part though Draco was she knows."

Draco was confused. "She knows what Harry?"

"She knows who we are, who we really are. She insisted her dad bring her because she just could not wait until next year to meet us. I always had a feeling Luna knew more than she let on."

"I'm happy for you Harry. I know how much you cared about her."

"She is excited to see you too Draco. I promised her we would write and that we would see her at Christmas time."

Draco was taken aback. He had not expected to have Luna as a friend. At least not this early. This could be good for them. If Luna knew what was going on, they would have someone their age to talk to about it. It was nice having Sev, his mum, Remus and now Sirius but it would be nice to have his friend's perspective.

"That's great Harry. I will make sure I write her tonight."

"So how was your weekend Dray?"

"It was alright. I spent some time with Sev and we brewed potions. It was just like old times. Well almost. He is different this time around. He actually referred to Sirius and Remus using their given names and there was no malice. I think they have buried the hatchet. He also told me he loves me."

"Well of course he does Dray. What's not to love? Seriously though, I think he feels as though you are the son he never had or at least that is what your mum said this weekend. I too noticed a difference. Of course, the difference I noticed was the way Moony, Padfoot and Prongs were referring to him as Severus. They too said it without malice and trust me last time Sirius hated Severus until his dying breathe. I asked your mum about it because I was confused and she explained the change she has seen in him since you told him the truth. My mum's forgiveness probably helped too."

"It did. He said he wasn't going to lose anyone else he loved nor was he going to be the reason your mum suffered any more pain."

Harry smiled. "That's a good thing Dray. We are going to win this time, I can feel it. We have so many people supporting us this time. We are not alone. Even people who do not know the truth like Madam Bones, Dumbledore, and Professor McGonagall. It's going to work out okay."

"I agree Harry. The only snag being Slytherin and my friends. I think we may be able to sway the Slytherins. They aren't as hostile probably because I'm not there riling them up."

"You always seemed to be the instigator. Moreover, in Slytherin or not I know Ron is still the same person. Now what happened with your friends?"

"Dud told me that Greg and Vince are scared of their dads and will likely avoid me. He said he would work on them and let me know how it went. Pansy practically runs in the other direction when I try to speak with her. I do not know what I am going to do Harry. I need my friends. I need to at least know they will be okay when they go home and I am not sure they will be because they supported me."

"It's going to be fine. Let Dud work on Vince and Greg. Do not worry about Pansy. I will speak with her and if she will not listen to me, we will get Hermione, Neville or Blaise to try. As for protecting them, I have plenty of rooms Dray. With Dumbledore off my back, I have access to Crimson Hall. Sirius and Remus say it is huge. They can stay there. Do you know where their mum's stand?"

"Not really. I never heard anything about them being Death Eaters but that doesn't mean they aren't supportive of Tom's ideals."

"Well we will figure it out. We can write to your mum tonight and ask her if she knows anything. She can then discuss things with Remus and Siri and maybe they can come up with a plan. You do not have to do this alone Dray. We have family to watch our backs."

Draco stared at Harry. "I missed you this weekend Harry. You always know just the right thing to say."

"I missed you too Dray. It will be okay. We will get through this together."

They left the Room of Requirement a short time later. Harry caught up with his friends while Draco wrote to his mum and Luna. By the time Draco was done writing, it was time for bed. He would mail their letters in the morning.

The next few weeks went by quickly. Most of the classes were boring seeing as Draco had already taken them once. He and Harry did not even have quidditch to keep them occupied. There were no problems in their flying lessons, as Draco was not an ass. Since he did not steal Neville's rememberall Harry did not make the dive that got him on the team. Draco figured that it was just as well. They didn't need to stand out any more than they did and there was no way Harry would be able to hide just how good he was at quidditch.

Draco spent most of his time with his friends. He and Harry had become quite close with Neville, Blaise, Hermione and the twins. They planned on branching out soon and making friends in the other houses.

On the 19th, Harry and Draco threw a surprise party for Hermione. It turned out quite nicely. From what Draco knew of Hermione's time at Hogwarts last time she did not even have any friends on her birthday. This time in addition to him and Harry she had Blaise, Dudley, Neville, Fred, George, and Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott from Hufflepuff. Nobody got her anything spectacular but the party was more than enough. Draco was just glad to put a smile on his friend's face.

The time that he did not spend with friends was spent either writing to his mum, Remus, Sirius, Luna and his aunt or brewing with Sev. He once again brewed wolfsbane for Remus. Sev helped him this time.

He and Harry had kept referring to Remus, Sirius and James as Moony, Padfoot and Prongs but so far had no luck getting the map from the twins. He knew Harry was itching to get his hands on it.

Draco continued to let Dudley and Harry work on his old friends. Neither of them seemed to be having much luck. He had mentioned this to his mum and Sev but nothing had seemed to come of it yet. He guessed that the adults were trying to come up with a solid plan before saying anything to him.

It was at the end of September that he finally got to speak with Pansy. He was walking to lunch one day when Pansy had pulled him into an unused classroom. Since his friends had gone on without him, he figured they knew about it.

"Can I help you with something Pansy?" Draco asked carefully.

"Oh Draco I've missed you," Pansy exclaimed before throwing herself into Draco.

Draco awkwardly tried to calm her down while she cried. He was not quite sure what was going on. It took a few minutes before she calmed down enough to explain.

"I'm sorry for avoiding you Draco it's just my father was not happy that I stood with you against your father. He told me that if word got back to him that I was seen with you he would remove me from Hogwarts. Greg and Vince got similar letters from their fathers."

"If it is so risky then why are we talking right now?" Draco asked. He was worried for his friend's safety.

"Potter set it up. He told me to be in this classroom today and to grab you as they walked by. None of them are going to lunch either so it won't seem suspicious that you and I aren't there."

Draco had not even known Harry had spoken to Pansy. Anytime he brought it up to Harry had just told Draco he was working on it.

"So why did you stand up with me then Pansy? After your behavior on the train I wasn't sure you'd still want to be my friend."

"At first I couldn't believe you were serious but after seeing you sorted I knew you were. I made up my mind right then and there that if you could escape your father and not follow in his footsteps than I did not have to either. Greg and Vince feel the same way. We all felt that if we were in Slytherin that people would see us as evil. That we were Death Eaters in training and we didn't want that."

Draco was relieved. They were with him. Even if he could not see them or speak with them, they were still his friends.

"I'm glad to hear that Pansy. I would have missed you three but there is no way I could be friends with you if you supported Tom."

"Who is Tom?" Pansy asked sounding confused.

"Tom is Tom Riddle. You would know him as the Dark Lord. Tom is the name he was born with."

"But Tom is dead."

"Lucius certainty didn't feel as if he was dead and neither does Dumbledore."

Pansy seemed to take a moment to digest what Draco had just told her. "Well if he isn't dead then he will not find a supporter in me or Greg or Vince."

"Once again that is good to hear. Now I just need to figure out how to keep you three safe from your idiotic fathers."

"You don't have to worry about that Draco. Potter said that he was working on that. He told me that by Christmas break we would be safe. It was why I spoke with him in the first place."

While Draco was happy to hear that, he knew he needed to have a long conversation with Harry. He did not like the idea that Harry had been keeping things from him.

Draco heard a knock on the door and knew his time was up. "Well I had better get going. I hope to see you soon Pansy."

Draco left without a backward glance. He knew if he looked back, he would not be able to leave.

That night he had a long chat with Harry after everyone else went to bed. He found out that Harry had spoken with Pansy several times and that Dudley too had a good idea what was going on. Harry did not know everything though. It seemed that Sirius and his mum were taking care of things.

He and Harry had also decided that it was time to put some wheels into motion. They decided that tomorrow they would approach some of the upper years from all 4 houses and see if they couldn't get a few of them to agree to oversee a study group for the first years. Draco figured this way they could get to know the people in other houses a little better. In addition, it would help bring his year mates up to speed. If Tom did manage to come back then Draco wanted people as prepared as they could be.

The next day Harry and Draco decided that Harry would take Gryffindor and Hufflepuff and he would take Slytherin and Ravenclaw. Harry ended up having better luck than Draco. Harry had gotten Oliver Wood, Percy Weasley and Cedric Diggory to agree to help.

Draco knew that Harry had personal reasons for approaching these three. He figured Harry asked Oliver because he had leadership skills as quidditch captain, Percy because he was a Weasley and Cedric to help prepare him. He knew that Harry felt guilt to this day over Cedric's death and would do everything he could to make sure that it did not happen again.

Draco had gotten nowhere with the Slytherins. He had not figured he would but tried just in case. He had gotten one Ravenclaw to agree, Penelope Clearwater. When he told Harry that Harry had laughed himself silly. Apparently, Penelope would date Percy next year.

By securing four people to supervise their group, they decided to get permission from Professor McGonagall. They did not want their group shut down. They made their way to her office a short time after dinner.

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Black what can I do for you?"

"Draco and I came up with an idea to form a study group for the first years. We have noticed that some subjects can be hard for some of us first years to grasp."

"For instance Harry and Neville are abysmal at potions," Draco said ignoring the dirty look Harry gave him. "However, Harry is great at defense and Neville has a real knack for Herbology. We figured that there were probably kids in the other houses with the same issues. By starting a study group we can offer a place to work on the subjects we have a hard time with while helping those who are having a hard time with subjects we are not."

"We also figured that it would promote interhouse unity. I for one have noticed how people seem to stick to their housemates. They always give me funny looks when I go to talk to my cousin, Dudley. I got Percy Weasley, Oliver Wood, and Cedric Diggory to agree to oversee our group while Draco got Penelope Clearwater to agree. That way if we needed to see something demonstrated or wanted to practice we would be supervised."

Draco and Harry sat quietly while Professor McGonagall thought about what they had to say.

"That seems like it was well thought through. I am alright with this group as long as you are supervised and Mr. Weasley, Mr. Wood, Mr. Diggory and Ms. Clearwater keep me informed of how things are going."

Draco shot Harry a smile. Harry felt that Professor McGonagall would not go for the idea. That she would be too worried that someone would get hurt. Draco was sure if they presented their case calmly, she would agree.

"Now before you go I would like to talk to you two about something."

Draco and Harry both gave her their attention.

"I have to say I was surprised by how your sorting went Mr. Black. I thought for sure you would be in Slytherin. I have been keeping an eye on you since term started and I was surprised by what I saw."

Draco felt his stomach drop. He did not like the sound of this conversation. He did not want people to keep an eye on him.

"Professor McGonagall," Harry interjected, "Could we please have this conversation elsewhere?"

Upon seeing her confused face, Draco added in a whisper, "The walls have ears."

Her expression immediately cleared. "As you wish. Do you have a spot in mind?"

Harry nodded and led them out of the room. Draco knew they were going to the Room of Requirement. When they went into the room, it was an exact replica of Professor McGonagall's office except there were no portraits.

Draco and Harry went back to the seats they had. Draco wondered if Professor McGonagall had noticed the shift in their personalities. Draco knew he was no longer acting the part of an innocent 11 year old and neither was Harry.

"What do you know about occlumency Professor McGonagall?" Harry asked as soon as she was seated.

"I know that is a mind magic that protects your thoughts. I am rather adept at it. How did you know about it Mr. Potter?"

"Dumbledore told me about it and Severus taught me it," Harry stated.

Draco jumped in before Professor McGonagall could respond, "I'm going to guess that what you noticed while watching me was that I do not always act my age. Am I close?"

"Yes Mr. Black. Neither of you do."

"Yet you said nothing to Dumbledore?" Harry questioned.

"I didn't feel it was a huge issue. I was planning on speaking to him about it after I talked to the two of you."

"Would you mind if we brought in a friend?" Draco asked.

"No go ahead Mr. Black."

Draco figured that she was only going along with this, as she was curious as to what was going on. "Dobby!" Draco called.

With a loud pop came, "Yes Master Draco?"

"Can you bring Sev here without him having to walk here?"

"Yes Master Draco, Dobby will get him right away."

"Who was that Mr. Black?"

"My house elf, Dobby."

Dobby was back less than a minute later but not with Sev.

"Sirius!" Harry exclaimed happily before rushing over to hug his godfather.

While Draco had never met Sirius last time around, he felt like he knew him from listening to Harry's stories. As soon as Harry let go he gave the man a hug too.

"It is good to see you Sirius."

"Nice to see you too, kid." Sirius turned his attention to Professor McGonagall. "Minnie! How nice to see you. Do you have a hug for your favorite former student?"

"Sit down Sirius. How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?"

"So Harry to what do I owe this pleasure?"

"We wanted some help explaining to her some of what is going on. We asked for Severus but…" Harry trailed off.

"Severus was a little busy." Sirius said trying not laugh. "So I came instead."

"Busy doing what?" Draco asked.

At that, Sirius burst out laughing. It took several minutes to calm him down. "Let's just say that I don't expect your mum to be a Black long if Sev has anything to say about it."

Draco was shocked. Sev and his mum? He just could not picture them together.

"That's good to hear. I'm glad Cissy is happy," Harry responded.

"Yes yes we are all happy for my mother but on to more important things. Professor McGonagall has noticed we don't always act our age."

"What kid acts their age all the time?"

"This is serious!" Draco responded.

"No I am Sirius," Sirius said with a smile.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Can you be a grown up for just one minute please?"

"Sure thing. Listen Minnie, it is a very long story and until I know where you stand not one I am sure I want to share with you."

"Where I stand?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"Yes like do you want to see Voldie defeated for good this time?"

"Mr. Potter has already seen to that."

"Now you and I both know that Dumbledore doesn't believe he is truly gone."

"Well should he not be gone then of course I stand against You-Know-Who."

"Please if you can't refer to him by his ridiculous made up name then at least call him by the name he was born with, Tom," Harry interrupted.

"As you wish Mr. Potter. I would never side with Tom."

"If it meant keeping things from Dumbledore could you do it?" Sirius asked seriously.

"Why would I need to keep things from Albus?"

"Because he doesn't always have everyone's best interests at heart," Harry replied calmly.

"If keeping things from Dumbledore could save thousands of lives could you do it?" Sirius asked again.

"Yes." Professor McGonagall responded after a moment.

"Okay then. Saturday I need you to be in Severus' classroom by four at the latest. He will bring you to my house and we will fill you in. Trust me when I say that Draco and Harry pose no threat. You are on the same side."

Professor McGonagall nodded. It seemed she was satisfied for now. After a quick hug from Sirius, he left with Dobby.

Professor McGonagall told them that she would meet with Cedric, Percy, Oliver and Penelope and work out the details of this study group and sent them back to their dorms. Draco was in a good mood as he walked to the Gryffindor common room. They may have just acquired a useful and powerful ally.

The day after Professor McGonagall met with Sirius, Harry and Draco received a letter from him.

_Dear Harry and Draco,_

_I thought you might like to know how my meeting with Minnie went. She went to Sev's room right on time. He brought her to Starlight Den where Remus, your parents' portrait and I were waiting for her. After some time to catch up with your parents, we got down to business. We told her the truth._

Draco exchanged a worried glance with Harry. He was happy to have Professor McGonagall on their side but was not sure if she could be completely trusted.

_I know that must sound scary but believe me it went well. As I said, we were completely honest with her. We told her all about how Harry had grown up at the Dursley's. We mentioned the beatings, all the times he went to bed without food, the nights spent alone in the cupboard under the stairs and the lack of love he received in that house._

_We also mentioned that you knew everything we did about Voldie and the war. She was not happy that we told you about it. As we explained to her after your childhood we wanted to make sure you understood just why you ended up at the Dursley's and we were not going to sugarcoat it._

_As for Draco, we just explained what a bastard Lucius is. She believes that you act older than your years sometimes because of the pressures of having to take care of your mum. Thanks to Cissy, we knew some of the things that had gone on in your house while you were a child._

_Just so you know Draco, you are never going back there! That man is a menace. I cannot believe the way he treated you and your mum. However, that is all in the past. You are both safe now._

_When Minnie left here, she seemed satisfied with our answers. I do not think she will bother you but should she ask I wanted you to know what was said. We will have to wait and see if any of this makes its way back to Dumbledore. If not then maybe down the line, we can be more open with her. _

_I do not feel like we should tell too many other people the truth. It is too dangerous. The more people that know the more likely it is to get back to people we do not want to know._

_Moving on to a different topic, I thought I would give you an update to what is being done about your friends, Pansy, Greg and Vince. Cissy has been in contact with their mothers. Unfortunately, she has not gotten anywhere with them as of yet. We do not know for sure whether they are not saying anything because they are scared of their husbands or if it is because they really do not want to leave._

_I am hoping we can figure out a way to get to the bottom of that. If you have any ideas please let us know. I know how worried you are Draco and trust me when I say that we will figure something out. I have no intention of letting your friends get hurt._

_Harry your parents send their love. As does your mum Draco. Be good and stay safe. I will see you at Christmas break._

_Sirius_

"What do you think Harry?" Draco asked once they were done reading the letter.

"I think that Sirius is trying to take care of us. I do not know how honest he is being. I am sure he was honest about Professor McGonagall. However, I think he only told us part of what he knows about your friends. He is trying to protect us. Knowing how old we are won't change that."

"He still loves us and will do his best to protect us no matter what our ages." Draco sighed.

"Exactly Dray. I am sure it will work out. We didn't come back to fail."

"I know Harry. I just wish there was more I could do for my friends."

"We are doing everything we can."

Draco was not sure if the letter made him feel better or worse. It was nice knowing that Professor McGonagall's curiosity was satiated at least for now. However, knowing that things were not going smoothly with his friends made Draco worried. He had already lost them once. He was not sure he could do it again.

A few days after their letter from Sirius, Dumbledore announced that there would be a study group held for the first years three times a week. He of course mentioned that it was Harry and Draco's idea.

Draco wished he had not. He knew that Greg, Vince and Pansy would not be able to attend now that his name was associated with it. He also knew it might make the Slytherins less likely to attend since it was an idea two Gryffindors came up with.

The first week of the group had not gotten off to the best of starts. None of the Slytherins attended, only Dudley, Susan and Hannah came from Hufflepuff, the only Ravenclaw that came was Padma Patil and Draco was pretty sure she was only there because her sister came. All the Gryffindors had come. Draco figured it was because of Harry but he would take what he could get.

By the end of the first week, Padma, Parvati, Seamus, Dean and Lavender had stopped coming. It was essentially just a group of Draco's friends.

As the weeks wore on, the ones still attending the group did see an improvement. Draco felt that eventually other houses would notice and more people would start coming.

As Halloween approached, Draco was nervous. He wondered if Quirrell would still let the troll in. He figured it did not matter. Sev knew everything they knew about that night and would be very watchful of Quirrell. In addition, he knew that Hermione would be nowhere near the troll as she had friends this time around.

The night of the feast Draco and Harry could barely relax. They could not help but be on edge knowing that a troll would soon be loose in the castle.

Right on time, Quirrell burst through the doors of the Great Hall. Just like last time, there was pandemonium. Once order was slightly restored, they went to their common rooms. Draco did not relax until Professor McGonagall showed up to let them know that the troll had been dealt with and everyone was to go to bed.

Draco and Harry waited until everyone was asleep before going back down to the common room to talk.

"That was nerve racking Harry. I was so worried that something would be different. That maybe Quirrell wouldn't let the troll into the castle."

"I was more worried that someone would get hurt since it was no longer Ron and I taking care of the troll. I am still worried. I will feel better after we see everyone tomorrow."

"Tonight would have been so much easier if we had the map. Then we could have kept an eye on things."

"Well we will just have to try harder Dray. If Fred and George do not give it back soon I am going to mention the map to them. I'll tell them that Padfoot told me all about it and I'll ask them to keep an eye out for it."

"That may work but last time they didn't give it to you until third year."

"And that was only so I could sneak out of Hogwarts to go to Hogsmeade. They should not have given it to me then either. If Siri had been after me, it could have gotten me killed. Not to mention it help Crouch bring back Tom."

"It will be of no use to him this time. We are not going to let it out of our sight. Moreover, we will have taken care of Tom long before Crouch will be able to help him. We have already taken out Wormtail and he was an important part of that plan."

"Right. There is no way that any of that is going to happen this time. We are going to defeat him. My scar has not hurt so it is safe to say I am no longer one. It is going to be alright."

"That's right Harry. We only have three more left. We can't worry about them right now with Tom so close but as soon as he is gone we will take care of them and then we will be free to live our lives."

"I am not sure how to live without the threat of Tom hanging over my head but I sure would like a chance to figure it out. I want to spend time with Sirius and Remus. I want to get to know my parents even if it is only through a portrait of them."

"You will Harry. You will have all that and more. We will get to watch our friends grow up, fall in love, and live. We will graduate Hogwarts and have careers and families. We will spend time with our loved ones. We will not have to watch our loved ones die this time. I promise no losing Sirius and Remus, no wondering what happened to Ron and Neville, no watching George walking around looking lost because Fred is not going to die and no wishing for death."

"I die?" a voice asked from behind them.

Draco and Harry whipped around and saw a very pale looking Fred and George standing there. This was not good. Draco had no idea how long they had been standing there but he could tell by the look on their faces that they had heard too much. More than Draco would ever tell any of his friends. They had never planned to tell any of their friends what happened to them last time. That was a secret they were planning to take to their graves but now Draco did not think that would be possible.

"What do you mean I die?" Fred asked once again.

Draco and Harry just sat there not saying a word. Neither of them was sure what to say. Draco had a feeling it was going to be a long night.

**A/N- Just out of curiosity what are your thoughts on pairings?**


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